Opportunities

3. Opening New Channels for Independent Publishing

Create new spaces for journalists to publish their work, through international media distribution partnerships and/or by funding alternative Kenyan platforms.

Opportunity

Journalists need more ways to publish and share their work. Supporters can help open these opportunities through international distribution partnerships and by fostering the creation or growth of small, innovative media outlets.

At the organizational level, this research identified only a few experiments in independent media. For example, respondents referenced Thika Town Today, Africa Uncensored, Africa Check, the African Women and Child Feature Service, Hivisasa, the Elephant, and Talk Africa. Some of these upstarts are operated by journalists who previously worked in establishment media but have lost jobs in the recent years. While more research and evaluation is needed in the relative strengths and impact of each, further support of these upstarts can help strengthen Kenya’s media ecosystem as a whole.

They may also choose the international route, establishing partnerships with traditional news sources (such as the BBC and The New York Times) as well as new media companies (such as HBO, Netflix, NewsDeeply, and Vice, which are known and used by Kenyan elites) to establish new pathways for Kenyan journalists to publish their work. For example, Patrick Gathara’s relationship with the Washington Post has allowed him to publish several strong and critical pieces about Kenya’s recent election period. Most ambitiously, supporters could seriously consider fostering the growth and creation of new media platforms at the national level.

Supporting such initiatives, whether it is by funding new or existing independent publishers, or strengthening relationships between journalists with international publications, will almost certainly require extended funding over the course of several years. It will likely take time to build strong audience support for new or growing publishing platforms.

Supporting new independent platforms or international publishing partnerships may also expose journalists and editors to many of the negative influences that have been detailed in this report. Independent sources of funding should help provide some insulation from economic uncertainty and reliance on private or government financing. However, addressing the capacity issues will require making sure that proper training and mentorship accompany support to publishers and platforms. At the same time, fending off state attacks on the freedom of the press will need to be part of larger solidarity movements, which bring together independent media actors to channel their voices into strong collective advocacy campaigns.

9. Solidarity Response Networks

Institutionalizing a “solidarity” network of journalists can increase safety, amplify calls against government intimidation, and support advocacy and legal efforts.

Opportunity

One of the most commonly cited strategies amongst respondents facing government intimidation is solidarity—sharing story tips with other journalists, and calling on other journalists to publicly report on antagonism faced by individual members of their community. Donors can build on this existing coping strategy by supporting a membership network, a kind of “NATO for journalists.”  

Such a network could play an important role in mitigating journalists’ risks, and could embolden them to push harder and dig deeper in their stories—the psychological benefit of knowing that a community of journalists is ready to defend them could help to bolster their independence. By guaranteeing a sustained collective response, the organization could also dissuade government attacks.

6. Holistic Support for Capacity Development

Providing well-designed trainings and mentorship opportunities, tailored to journalist demand, can fill urgent capacity gaps.

Opportunity

Capacity, particularly among younger journalists, was cited as one of the greatest challenges to a strong independent media. Kenyan media is not new to training, particularly donor-supported trainings. However, researchers heard frustrations that university journalism programs are not providing enough practical skills, while donor-supported trainings are not designed to meet the felt needs of journalists. At the same, mentorship, an important source of support for young journalists, has all but disappeared. As such, a shift toward “journalist-centered” training may be necessary. This means designing training programs around the explicit needs of the journalists being supported, and connecting them to opportunities they need to sharpen their skills. This might mean establishing a series of trainings on a particular topic in partnership with a publisher who can both support and publish reporting.

For individual journalists, a truly effective training program can be transformational. Importantly, for a training program to have any impact at all, it must be designed—in other words, trainings must be based on a solid foundation of user research, and then created and improved in an iterative process in collaboration with journalists.

2. Hosting Alternative Media Labs

Dedicated spaces for experimenting with creative storytelling and novel partnerships could tap into new ways of engaging audiences (and would inspire journalists and media entrepreneurs).

Opportunity

In the face of government pressure, journalists need creative ways to capture audience attention with compelling narratives. Media supporters could sow the seeds of long-term impact by creating a space for media actors to experiment and prototype new models of storytelling—especially alongside filmmakers, artists, social media experts, technologists, and other cross-disciplinary collaborators. A “media lab,” in the model of Nieman Lab or MIT Civic Media Lab in the U.S., could spark exciting new ventures in Kenya, and help surface promising journalists and other media entrepreneurs. The exact focus and mission, as well as where such a lab may be situated—within a university, or as an independent institution—should be driven by the Kenyan media professionals who would lead such a venture.

Boosting independent media will require bold new models to engage and activate audiences. Creating a space for incubation could nurture the kinds of alternative media ventures that could reinvigorate Kenyans’ trust in media. We envision an investment in this kind of lab would require multi-year support, beyond the more typical one- to two-year grants media organizations receive. This would help encourage long-term thinking on potential models for independent journalism.

4. Public Interest Storytelling  

Funding commercially driven content that is designed to not just entertain but to inform or educate the public—such as news series, documentaries, comedy, and satire—can meet consumer demand while informing audiences.

Opportunity

Much of Kenyan entertainment media has historically been imported from international producers. However, a 2016 law requires 40 percent of content to be produced locally, which is creating incentives for media outlets. Supporters can take advantage of this moment by backing independent journalists to create new forms of public interest content in alternative mediums. Stories that portray the Kenyan experience (rather than more straightforward news), and/or that embed information or education into entertainment, can tap into new streams of audience demand.

1. Designing the Future of Independent Media

Convening creative, field-leading journalists to brainstorm can shape the foundation of future public interest media in Kenya.

Opportunity

For any effort to support independent journalism to be successful, investors must identify the right local partners—and get their ideas and participation. Before any intervention in the Kenyan media landscape, it would be useful to convene journalists and media actors to begin a dialogue on the future of Kenya’s independent media.

Such a convening could take place over three to five days in which participants align on the challenges they face, and begin designing feasible solutions. Sessions would be structured to strengthen productive relationships among people who have not previously collaborated. In an effort to encourage creative thinking, participants would be drawn from inside and outside media. Journalists and editors from establishment media, working in all mediums, could participate alongside editors and journalists from independent organizations; correspondents, freelancers, and bloggers should be represented as well. Civil society groups working on media issues would also bring an important perspective; this could include the various professional organizations (e.g. Kenyan Union of Journalists, the Kenyan Correspondents Association), those working on freedom of speech issues (e.g. Article 19, Human Rights Watch, and Internews), and those working on digital access (e.g. Kenya ICT Action Network). It could also include representatives from the various university journalism and/or communications programs throughout the country. From outside media, it could include representatives from civil society working on issues like democracy and governance, and development, as well as digital communications practitioners and other creative storytellers. In addition to finding the right balance between media actors, special attention should also be paid to the gender balance of attendees to ensure that women’s voices are represented.

By bringing these groups together, we would hope to strengthen relationships among them, while introducing alternative ways of thinking about and engaging with audiences in an effort to stimulate creative problem solving.

Engaging in open conversations with and amongst media actors in Kenya is vital to identifying and prioritizing workable ideas. It can help ensure future investments are demand-driven, where Kenyan journalists, publishers, and entrepreneurs define the problems, set priorities, design solutions, and make plans to see them into reality. Such an event would also help strengthen a community of practice in Kenya and could catalyze the networks that will be tasked with implementing new ideas. This is a critical first step to any investments in Kenyan media.

7. Connecting Journalists and CSOs

Institutionalizing networks of trust and collaboration between CSOs and journalists can accelerate and amplify the efforts of each.

Opportunity

The vital relationships between media and civil society can be strengthened to the benefit of both sectors, and governance at large. Institutionalizing these relationships can encourage more collaboration, and should take many forms. We suggest a series of events designed to build networks between the two fields as a first step. These events would be aimed at helping journalist and civil society representatives to understand each other’s goals, challenges, and resources. They would help civil society understand how to better frame and pitch ideas to journalists for coverage. For journalists, these events could be focused on helping them work with civil society to identify story ideas and access civil society expertise to improve the quality of their reporting.

These stronger relationships, in turn, would help increase the impact of both CSOs and media organizations. The former would be able to amplify their messages and work, reaching new audiences for advocacy and action. For journalists, CSOs can be highly valuable in contributing expertise and information, as well as in making connections to human interest stories.

8. Physical Spaces for Independent Journalists

Opening spaces for independent journalists to gather, access the internet, and seek mentorship will provide physical security as well as professional support.  

Opportunity

To address resource and skill gaps, particularly for young and freelance journalists, donors may provide physical spaces where journalists can access desks, internet, computers, and phone lines. They could also be staffed with experienced journalists to provide guidance and mentorship, which numerous respondents felt is essential to the professional growth of aspiring journalists. Internews, the Kenyan Correspondents Association, and the Association of Freelance Journalists have all had (or are currently running) similar initiatives. However, many of these “safe spaces” have been closed due to a lack of funding, which multiple respondents who used these spaces lamented. Researchers heard stories of journalists who were attacked in internet cafés, because they did not have dedicated safe locations to work from.

These spaces have been implemented before, and so their moderate impact is fairly well known. Still, demand exists for more. Additionally, these hubs will likely provide the added benefit of creating and strengthening relationships amongst journalists, who can support each other more effectively if they are in frequent contact.

5. Grants for Investigative Journalism

Providing travel grants and reporting funds for journalists can help support investigative journalism.

Opportunity

Most journalists are now freelancers, underpaid and producing work that struggles to get published. To increase their potential, donors could establish a system to fund journalists pursuing important investigative stories. Such funding programs exist in other countries, such as the Pulitzer Center’s travel grants, that offer lessons for such initiatives tailored for Kenya. This opportunity is best paired with an effort to strengthen journalist relationships with international publishers or support for independent publishing platforms to ensure that when strong investigative pieces are produced, there are avenues willing and ready to publish them. Special attention could be paid to awarding grants to women journalists, or to those journalists working in typically marginalized parts of the country.

3. Opening New Channels for Independent Publishing

Create new spaces for journalists to publish their work, through international media distribution partnerships and/or by funding alternative Kenyan platforms.

Opportunity

Journalists need more ways to publish and share their work. Supporters can help open these opportunities through international distribution partnerships and by fostering the creation or growth of small, innovative media outlets.

At the organizational level, this research identified only a few experiments in independent media. For example, respondents referenced Thika Town Today, Africa Uncensored, Africa Check, the African Women and Child Feature Service, Hivisasa, the Elephant, and Talk Africa. Some of these upstarts are operated by journalists who previously worked in establishment media but have lost jobs in the recent years. While more research and evaluation is needed in the relative strengths and impact of each, further support of these upstarts can help strengthen Kenya’s media ecosystem as a whole.

They may also choose the international route, establishing partnerships with traditional news sources (such as the BBC and The New York Times) as well as new media companies (such as HBO, Netflix, NewsDeeply, and Vice, which are known and used by Kenyan elites) to establish new pathways for Kenyan journalists to publish their work. For example, Patrick Gathara’s relationship with the Washington Post has allowed him to publish several strong and critical pieces about Kenya’s recent election period. Most ambitiously, supporters could seriously consider fostering the growth and creation of new media platforms at the national level.

Supporting such initiatives, whether it is by funding new or existing independent publishers, or strengthening relationships between journalists with international publications, will almost certainly require extended funding over the course of several years. It will likely take time to build strong audience support for new or growing publishing platforms.

Supporting new independent platforms or international publishing partnerships may also expose journalists and editors to many of the negative influences that have been detailed in this report. Independent sources of funding should help provide some insulation from economic uncertainty and reliance on private or government financing. However, addressing the capacity issues will require making sure that proper training and mentorship accompany support to publishers and platforms. At the same time, fending off state attacks on the freedom of the press will need to be part of larger solidarity movements, which bring together independent media actors to channel their voices into strong collective advocacy campaigns.

9. Solidarity Response Networks

Institutionalizing a “solidarity” network of journalists can increase safety, amplify calls against government intimidation, and support advocacy and legal efforts.

Opportunity

One of the most commonly cited strategies amongst respondents facing government intimidation is solidarity—sharing story tips with other journalists, and calling on other journalists to publicly report on antagonism faced by individual members of their community. Donors can build on this existing coping strategy by supporting a membership network, a kind of “NATO for journalists.”  

Such a network could play an important role in mitigating journalists’ risks, and could embolden them to push harder and dig deeper in their stories—the psychological benefit of knowing that a community of journalists is ready to defend them could help to bolster their independence. By guaranteeing a sustained collective response, the organization could also dissuade government attacks.

6. Holistic Support for Capacity Development

Providing well-designed trainings and mentorship opportunities, tailored to journalist demand, can fill urgent capacity gaps.

Opportunity

Capacity, particularly among younger journalists, was cited as one of the greatest challenges to a strong independent media. Kenyan media is not new to training, particularly donor-supported trainings. However, researchers heard frustrations that university journalism programs are not providing enough practical skills, while donor-supported trainings are not designed to meet the felt needs of journalists. At the same, mentorship, an important source of support for young journalists, has all but disappeared. As such, a shift toward “journalist-centered” training may be necessary. This means designing training programs around the explicit needs of the journalists being supported, and connecting them to opportunities they need to sharpen their skills. This might mean establishing a series of trainings on a particular topic in partnership with a publisher who can both support and publish reporting.

For individual journalists, a truly effective training program can be transformational. Importantly, for a training program to have any impact at all, it must be designed—in other words, trainings must be based on a solid foundation of user research, and then created and improved in an iterative process in collaboration with journalists.

2. Hosting Alternative Media Labs

Dedicated spaces for experimenting with creative storytelling and novel partnerships could tap into new ways of engaging audiences (and would inspire journalists and media entrepreneurs).

Opportunity

In the face of government pressure, journalists need creative ways to capture audience attention with compelling narratives. Media supporters could sow the seeds of long-term impact by creating a space for media actors to experiment and prototype new models of storytelling—especially alongside filmmakers, artists, social media experts, technologists, and other cross-disciplinary collaborators. A “media lab,” in the model of Nieman Lab or MIT Civic Media Lab in the U.S., could spark exciting new ventures in Kenya, and help surface promising journalists and other media entrepreneurs. The exact focus and mission, as well as where such a lab may be situated—within a university, or as an independent institution—should be driven by the Kenyan media professionals who would lead such a venture.

Boosting independent media will require bold new models to engage and activate audiences. Creating a space for incubation could nurture the kinds of alternative media ventures that could reinvigorate Kenyans’ trust in media. We envision an investment in this kind of lab would require multi-year support, beyond the more typical one- to two-year grants media organizations receive. This would help encourage long-term thinking on potential models for independent journalism.

4. Public Interest Storytelling  

Funding commercially driven content that is designed to not just entertain but to inform or educate the public—such as news series, documentaries, comedy, and satire—can meet consumer demand while informing audiences.

Opportunity

Much of Kenyan entertainment media has historically been imported from international producers. However, a 2016 law requires 40 percent of content to be produced locally, which is creating incentives for media outlets. Supporters can take advantage of this moment by backing independent journalists to create new forms of public interest content in alternative mediums. Stories that portray the Kenyan experience (rather than more straightforward news), and/or that embed information or education into entertainment, can tap into new streams of audience demand.

1. Designing the Future of Independent Media

Convening creative, field-leading journalists to brainstorm can shape the foundation of future public interest media in Kenya.

Opportunity

For any effort to support independent journalism to be successful, investors must identify the right local partners—and get their ideas and participation. Before any intervention in the Kenyan media landscape, it would be useful to convene journalists and media actors to begin a dialogue on the future of Kenya’s independent media.

Such a convening could take place over three to five days in which participants align on the challenges they face, and begin designing feasible solutions. Sessions would be structured to strengthen productive relationships among people who have not previously collaborated. In an effort to encourage creative thinking, participants would be drawn from inside and outside media. Journalists and editors from establishment media, working in all mediums, could participate alongside editors and journalists from independent organizations; correspondents, freelancers, and bloggers should be represented as well. Civil society groups working on media issues would also bring an important perspective; this could include the various professional organizations (e.g. Kenyan Union of Journalists, the Kenyan Correspondents Association), those working on freedom of speech issues (e.g. Article 19, Human Rights Watch, and Internews), and those working on digital access (e.g. Kenya ICT Action Network). It could also include representatives from the various university journalism and/or communications programs throughout the country. From outside media, it could include representatives from civil society working on issues like democracy and governance, and development, as well as digital communications practitioners and other creative storytellers. In addition to finding the right balance between media actors, special attention should also be paid to the gender balance of attendees to ensure that women’s voices are represented.

By bringing these groups together, we would hope to strengthen relationships among them, while introducing alternative ways of thinking about and engaging with audiences in an effort to stimulate creative problem solving.

Engaging in open conversations with and amongst media actors in Kenya is vital to identifying and prioritizing workable ideas. It can help ensure future investments are demand-driven, where Kenyan journalists, publishers, and entrepreneurs define the problems, set priorities, design solutions, and make plans to see them into reality. Such an event would also help strengthen a community of practice in Kenya and could catalyze the networks that will be tasked with implementing new ideas. This is a critical first step to any investments in Kenyan media.

7. Connecting Journalists and CSOs

Institutionalizing networks of trust and collaboration between CSOs and journalists can accelerate and amplify the efforts of each.

Opportunity

The vital relationships between media and civil society can be strengthened to the benefit of both sectors, and governance at large. Institutionalizing these relationships can encourage more collaboration, and should take many forms. We suggest a series of events designed to build networks between the two fields as a first step. These events would be aimed at helping journalist and civil society representatives to understand each other’s goals, challenges, and resources. They would help civil society understand how to better frame and pitch ideas to journalists for coverage. For journalists, these events could be focused on helping them work with civil society to identify story ideas and access civil society expertise to improve the quality of their reporting.

These stronger relationships, in turn, would help increase the impact of both CSOs and media organizations. The former would be able to amplify their messages and work, reaching new audiences for advocacy and action. For journalists, CSOs can be highly valuable in contributing expertise and information, as well as in making connections to human interest stories.

8. Physical Spaces for Independent Journalists

Opening spaces for independent journalists to gather, access the internet, and seek mentorship will provide physical security as well as professional support.  

Opportunity

To address resource and skill gaps, particularly for young and freelance journalists, donors may provide physical spaces where journalists can access desks, internet, computers, and phone lines. They could also be staffed with experienced journalists to provide guidance and mentorship, which numerous respondents felt is essential to the professional growth of aspiring journalists. Internews, the Kenyan Correspondents Association, and the Association of Freelance Journalists have all had (or are currently running) similar initiatives. However, many of these “safe spaces” have been closed due to a lack of funding, which multiple respondents who used these spaces lamented. Researchers heard stories of journalists who were attacked in internet cafés, because they did not have dedicated safe locations to work from.

These spaces have been implemented before, and so their moderate impact is fairly well known. Still, demand exists for more. Additionally, these hubs will likely provide the added benefit of creating and strengthening relationships amongst journalists, who can support each other more effectively if they are in frequent contact.

5. Grants for Investigative Journalism

Providing travel grants and reporting funds for journalists can help support investigative journalism.

Opportunity

Most journalists are now freelancers, underpaid and producing work that struggles to get published. To increase their potential, donors could establish a system to fund journalists pursuing important investigative stories. Such funding programs exist in other countries, such as the Pulitzer Center’s travel grants, that offer lessons for such initiatives tailored for Kenya. This opportunity is best paired with an effort to strengthen journalist relationships with international publishers or support for independent publishing platforms to ensure that when strong investigative pieces are produced, there are avenues willing and ready to publish them. Special attention could be paid to awarding grants to women journalists, or to those journalists working in typically marginalized parts of the country.

3. Opening New Channels for Independent Publishing

Create new spaces for journalists to publish their work, through international media distribution partnerships and/or by funding alternative Kenyan platforms.

Opportunity

Journalists need more ways to publish and share their work. Supporters can help open these opportunities through international distribution partnerships and by fostering the creation or growth of small, innovative media outlets.

At the organizational level, this research identified only a few experiments in independent media. For example, respondents referenced Thika Town Today, Africa Uncensored, Africa Check, the African Women and Child Feature Service, Hivisasa, the Elephant, and Talk Africa. Some of these upstarts are operated by journalists who previously worked in establishment media but have lost jobs in the recent years. While more research and evaluation is needed in the relative strengths and impact of each, further support of these upstarts can help strengthen Kenya’s media ecosystem as a whole.

They may also choose the international route, establishing partnerships with traditional news sources (such as the BBC and The New York Times) as well as new media companies (such as HBO, Netflix, NewsDeeply, and Vice, which are known and used by Kenyan elites) to establish new pathways for Kenyan journalists to publish their work. For example, Patrick Gathara’s relationship with the Washington Post has allowed him to publish several strong and critical pieces about Kenya’s recent election period. Most ambitiously, supporters could seriously consider fostering the growth and creation of new media platforms at the national level.

Supporting such initiatives, whether it is by funding new or existing independent publishers, or strengthening relationships between journalists with international publications, will almost certainly require extended funding over the course of several years. It will likely take time to build strong audience support for new or growing publishing platforms.

Supporting new independent platforms or international publishing partnerships may also expose journalists and editors to many of the negative influences that have been detailed in this report. Independent sources of funding should help provide some insulation from economic uncertainty and reliance on private or government financing. However, addressing the capacity issues will require making sure that proper training and mentorship accompany support to publishers and platforms. At the same time, fending off state attacks on the freedom of the press will need to be part of larger solidarity movements, which bring together independent media actors to channel their voices into strong collective advocacy campaigns.

9. Solidarity Response Networks

Institutionalizing a “solidarity” network of journalists can increase safety, amplify calls against government intimidation, and support advocacy and legal efforts.

Opportunity

One of the most commonly cited strategies amongst respondents facing government intimidation is solidarity—sharing story tips with other journalists, and calling on other journalists to publicly report on antagonism faced by individual members of their community. Donors can build on this existing coping strategy by supporting a membership network, a kind of “NATO for journalists.”  

Such a network could play an important role in mitigating journalists’ risks, and could embolden them to push harder and dig deeper in their stories—the psychological benefit of knowing that a community of journalists is ready to defend them could help to bolster their independence. By guaranteeing a sustained collective response, the organization could also dissuade government attacks.

6. Holistic Support for Capacity Development

Providing well-designed trainings and mentorship opportunities, tailored to journalist demand, can fill urgent capacity gaps.

Opportunity

Capacity, particularly among younger journalists, was cited as one of the greatest challenges to a strong independent media. Kenyan media is not new to training, particularly donor-supported trainings. However, researchers heard frustrations that university journalism programs are not providing enough practical skills, while donor-supported trainings are not designed to meet the felt needs of journalists. At the same, mentorship, an important source of support for young journalists, has all but disappeared. As such, a shift toward “journalist-centered” training may be necessary. This means designing training programs around the explicit needs of the journalists being supported, and connecting them to opportunities they need to sharpen their skills. This might mean establishing a series of trainings on a particular topic in partnership with a publisher who can both support and publish reporting.

For individual journalists, a truly effective training program can be transformational. Importantly, for a training program to have any impact at all, it must be designed—in other words, trainings must be based on a solid foundation of user research, and then created and improved in an iterative process in collaboration with journalists.

4. Public Interest Storytelling  

Funding commercially driven content that is designed to not just entertain but to inform or educate the public—such as news series, documentaries, comedy, and satire—can meet consumer demand while informing audiences.

Opportunity

Much of Kenyan entertainment media has historically been imported from international producers. However, a 2016 law requires 40 percent of content to be produced locally, which is creating incentives for media outlets. Supporters can take advantage of this moment by backing independent journalists to create new forms of public interest content in alternative mediums. Stories that portray the Kenyan experience (rather than more straightforward news), and/or that embed information or education into entertainment, can tap into new streams of audience demand.

2. Hosting Alternative Media Labs

Dedicated spaces for experimenting with creative storytelling and novel partnerships could tap into new ways of engaging audiences (and would inspire journalists and media entrepreneurs).

Opportunity

In the face of government pressure, journalists need creative ways to capture audience attention with compelling narratives. Media supporters could sow the seeds of long-term impact by creating a space for media actors to experiment and prototype new models of storytelling—especially alongside filmmakers, artists, social media experts, technologists, and other cross-disciplinary collaborators. A “media lab,” in the model of Nieman Lab or MIT Civic Media Lab in the U.S., could spark exciting new ventures in Kenya, and help surface promising journalists and other media entrepreneurs. The exact focus and mission, as well as where such a lab may be situated—within a university, or as an independent institution—should be driven by the Kenyan media professionals who would lead such a venture.

Boosting independent media will require bold new models to engage and activate audiences. Creating a space for incubation could nurture the kinds of alternative media ventures that could reinvigorate Kenyans’ trust in media. We envision an investment in this kind of lab would require multi-year support, beyond the more typical one- to two-year grants media organizations receive. This would help encourage long-term thinking on potential models for independent journalism.

1. Designing the Future of Independent Media

Convening creative, field-leading journalists to brainstorm can shape the foundation of future public interest media in Kenya.

Opportunity

For any effort to support independent journalism to be successful, investors must identify the right local partners—and get their ideas and participation. Before any intervention in the Kenyan media landscape, it would be useful to convene journalists and media actors to begin a dialogue on the future of Kenya’s independent media.

Such a convening could take place over three to five days in which participants align on the challenges they face, and begin designing feasible solutions. Sessions would be structured to strengthen productive relationships among people who have not previously collaborated. In an effort to encourage creative thinking, participants would be drawn from inside and outside media. Journalists and editors from establishment media, working in all mediums, could participate alongside editors and journalists from independent organizations; correspondents, freelancers, and bloggers should be represented as well. Civil society groups working on media issues would also bring an important perspective; this could include the various professional organizations (e.g. Kenyan Union of Journalists, the Kenyan Correspondents Association), those working on freedom of speech issues (e.g. Article 19, Human Rights Watch, and Internews), and those working on digital access (e.g. Kenya ICT Action Network). It could also include representatives from the various university journalism and/or communications programs throughout the country. From outside media, it could include representatives from civil society working on issues like democracy and governance, and development, as well as digital communications practitioners and other creative storytellers. In addition to finding the right balance between media actors, special attention should also be paid to the gender balance of attendees to ensure that women’s voices are represented.

By bringing these groups together, we would hope to strengthen relationships among them, while introducing alternative ways of thinking about and engaging with audiences in an effort to stimulate creative problem solving.

Engaging in open conversations with and amongst media actors in Kenya is vital to identifying and prioritizing workable ideas. It can help ensure future investments are demand-driven, where Kenyan journalists, publishers, and entrepreneurs define the problems, set priorities, design solutions, and make plans to see them into reality. Such an event would also help strengthen a community of practice in Kenya and could catalyze the networks that will be tasked with implementing new ideas. This is a critical first step to any investments in Kenyan media.

7. Connecting Journalists and CSOs

Institutionalizing networks of trust and collaboration between CSOs and journalists can accelerate and amplify the efforts of each.

Opportunity

The vital relationships between media and civil society can be strengthened to the benefit of both sectors, and governance at large. Institutionalizing these relationships can encourage more collaboration, and should take many forms. We suggest a series of events designed to build networks between the two fields as a first step. These events would be aimed at helping journalist and civil society representatives to understand each other’s goals, challenges, and resources. They would help civil society understand how to better frame and pitch ideas to journalists for coverage. For journalists, these events could be focused on helping them work with civil society to identify story ideas and access civil society expertise to improve the quality of their reporting.

These stronger relationships, in turn, would help increase the impact of both CSOs and media organizations. The former would be able to amplify their messages and work, reaching new audiences for advocacy and action. For journalists, CSOs can be highly valuable in contributing expertise and information, as well as in making connections to human interest stories.

8. Physical Spaces for Independent Journalists

Opening spaces for independent journalists to gather, access the internet, and seek mentorship will provide physical security as well as professional support.  

Opportunity

To address resource and skill gaps, particularly for young and freelance journalists, donors may provide physical spaces where journalists can access desks, internet, computers, and phone lines. They could also be staffed with experienced journalists to provide guidance and mentorship, which numerous respondents felt is essential to the professional growth of aspiring journalists. Internews, the Kenyan Correspondents Association, and the Association of Freelance Journalists have all had (or are currently running) similar initiatives. However, many of these “safe spaces” have been closed due to a lack of funding, which multiple respondents who used these spaces lamented. Researchers heard stories of journalists who were attacked in internet cafés, because they did not have dedicated safe locations to work from.

These spaces have been implemented before, and so their moderate impact is fairly well known. Still, demand exists for more. Additionally, these hubs will likely provide the added benefit of creating and strengthening relationships amongst journalists, who can support each other more effectively if they are in frequent contact.

5. Grants for Investigative Journalism

Providing travel grants and reporting funds for journalists can help support investigative journalism.

Opportunity

Most journalists are now freelancers, underpaid and producing work that struggles to get published. To increase their potential, donors could establish a system to fund journalists pursuing important investigative stories. Such funding programs exist in other countries, such as the Pulitzer Center’s travel grants, that offer lessons for such initiatives tailored for Kenya. This opportunity is best paired with an effort to strengthen journalist relationships with international publishers or support for independent publishing platforms to ensure that when strong investigative pieces are produced, there are avenues willing and ready to publish them. Special attention could be paid to awarding grants to women journalists, or to those journalists working in typically marginalized parts of the country.