Kenyan Dailies Still Don’t Get it
It looks like Business Daily Africa is going to start charging it’s on-line customers to read some of their articles. In doing this, they are going against the current trend in on-line journalism where everything is becoming free. Heck, even the Wall Street Journal is heading towards making all the content on their site totally free and they are the world’s most important business newspaper!
I suppose I know what they are thinking: If people have to pay for the physical paper, why shouldn’t they pay for it’s on-line content? but what they are failing to get is that the internet is destroying these old school notions of how “old” media made it’s money: It’s no longer through subscriptions or even fee’s charged per paper. It’s now all about advertising.
The second point is that when you go on-line, you now have access to readers from across the globe, not just readers based in Kenya and therefore, your goal should be to make all the content free in an effort to increase your readership and then, use this increased global readership to increase your advertising rates and/or to attract new advertising that would appeal to a broader audience. i.e. not just kenyans based in kenya, but kenyans based all over the world.
Instead of charging people to read their on-line papers, they should be paying closer attention to their readers demographics so that they can start putting up more relevant ad’s that will obtain higher click-through-rates, which will result in higher revenues. Also, by using these demographics, they can also start attracting companies in Kenya that offer services that maybe attractive to Kenyans living in the diaspora.
Are the Kenyan newspapers having a hard time making money? I don’t know anyone who pays for any of these subscription services. Do you?
And the errors… too many to count!
One thing that really bothers me about the Kenyan dailies (& the media in general) is the way they appear to be unpatriotic.
I live in Europe and the one lesson I have learnt is that their media is ultra-patriotic. They have a policy of self-censorship and the national interests always come first. They all close ranks when it comes to matters of national cohesion.
I am appalled when I read some articles in leading Kenyan media clearly bordering on ethnic incitement. There is no effort at all to build a national fabric or promote positive reporting. I sometimes think that they have been brainwashed.
I am not saying that they should gloss over the negative aspects of Kenya but they have a responsibility in not tearing the nation apart. Afterall, alot of Kenyans shape their opinions depending on what is in the media.
I am not sure if they are driven by the greed for profits through sensational reporting or just sheer malice. Well, it may be sheer greed, seeing that they are now charging for access to internet articles. I personally would never pay.
I would rather use that money to call my folks on the ground and get the TRUE news.
Kei O:
In the ‘Western Media’ there is room for dissent and other opinions. In Kenya these ‘freedoms’ were stifled until recently. And even in the new regime, they still are on occasion – remember the raid on the Standard papers & roocy’s rampage at Nation?
When was the last time you had something like this happen in Western Europe?
Politics are relatively mature in Western Europe as well & the populace is better educated (not necessarily better informed). The internet is accessible to many thus one can always google alternative stories.
#CT
KEI O is Josh
See proof In Kajwang is Ayatolah Blog ~
Check out
He has denied of course but its interesting ‘BUSTIN’…
lord
Stop distracting people with hearsay. Stick to the topic.
I am no expert but I will say my piece on this topic in so far as it relates to me.
I have to agree with both Kei O & Coldtusker. Yes, there is freedom of press in the West but they are also very self-censored and they know which lines not to cross. Even when they air dissenting opinions, they are very careful not to cross certain lines. For instance, you will never see a western journalist disparaging their country. Infact, they promote their countries and highlight them whilst at the same time disparaging other countries which they see as threats.
A good example is the bad press that China and Russia are currently getting in the west. This is clearly designed to portray the 2 countries in a bad light as the competition for world resources, traditionally dominated by the west, heats up.
Kenyan journalists on the other hand will be the first ones to write articles that threaten the very foundation of the state. A good case in point is the recent campaigns for the 2007 elections. The media should have completely blacked out politicians who were inciting Kenyans to violence – even before the elections. That would have been responsible journalism.
However, they also do a good job in highlighting corruption and other vices in society. But they should also give the positive African story.
Where is the positive Kenyan story???????? This story can only be told by the Kenyan media – not the foreign media!
Josh: Do not misquote me. The Western Press can be critical of their politicians as well.
Please note their is a difference between POLITICIANS and COUNTRY.
We are proud of KENYA but not of the POLITICIANS.
jomo kenyatta – a thief par excellence – changed his name from ngengi wa kamau to “jomo kenyatta”… jamaa was playing politics and equated himself with Kenya i.e. he was the chief and Kenya was his village! No wonder he never looks at grabbing land as theft!
dan ‘thieving’ moi did the same… he made us pledge loyalty to him rather than the State… bastard!
Yes, we can be patriotic by not kissing up to politicians and Kenyan journalists, who are not perfect, generally critique the government & politicians NOT the Country!
Coldtusker
How do you differentiate between politicians and country?
I think that Kenyan politicians have a knack for tying their fortunes to the fortunes of the country. Why else would a politician advocate for the removal of “madoa doa” or the protection of “our people”? Clearly these are themes that have an effect on the very fabric of the nation. My point is that Kenyan media should ignore such politicians and infact embark on a campaign of civic education against such notions instead of highlighting them.
Just look at the cartoon for today’s Standard Newspaper and you will see the kind of negative reporting that I am talking about. What exactly is the point of portraying Kibaki and Raila sorrounded by weapons? This sends subliminal messages that violence is acceptable. The Kenyan media is complicit in normalising brutality. Totally irresponsible.
Kenyatta died more than 30 years ago and Moi has been out of power for more than 5 years now. The question is, where do we go from here????
Do we whinge and moan about a man who died 30 years ago and another almost senile man or do we take responsibility for our country and right the wrongs the two men may or may not have committed. I am for solutions. I am not in the blame game. That is my personal philosophy.
When Kenya became intolerable for Kikuyus in the 90s (you could not even get a cleaning job), I left that country and made my life elsewhere. I did not rely on anyone else. I live off my own sweat and I also give back to my community and country at large.
Stop whinging about dead presidents. Get a grip on your life.
For good measure – I love and respect both Kenyatta and Moi. And that is God’s honest truth.
I say we dispossess the kenyattas of the land that kamau stole. And for dan… well… there is plenty that he can ‘give back’ that will make life for many Kenyans more tolerable.
Coldtusker:
Kenyatta has been dead for over 30 years and no one is going to take their land away from them – not even Raila.
Focus on creating new wealth. The thieves will never be caught.
Coldtusker
Dispossessing the Kenyattas of the land that they “stole” is not going to solve anything. Infact, that is a pipe dream. You better just forget it and move on with your life my friend. You will hit a brickwall with your head and collapse my friend.
You must remember that the Kenyattas are not the only big landowners in Kenya. There are many others who own big tracts of land, including transnational companies and the government. So it would be quite myopic to focus on one family. Besides, this would create such chaos that it would take Kenya back to the medieval somalia-like times.
As a young person (I am assuming you are), what you should be doing right now is thinking of how you can contribute to your country. It is tragic when relatively young people like you fall into the “bitter beggar” mode where they expect that the government will provide for them. It is a sad state of affairs.
The role of the government should be to ensure that the infrastructure is in place for the wananchi to thrive. It should also intervene with social programmes for vulnerable people. That is all.
But to come back to the topic – my position is still that the Kenyan media have lopsided priorities. They put short-term profits ahead of their country.
I will be harsh on this occasion and say that the Kenyan media is MEDIOCRE.
KEI O
The AIM of all private companies is to MAKE money NOT chaperon or Nanny the State
NATION,Standard Number ONE aim is to make money through ‘informing the people. ‘ Any thing else is secondary….SO You can NOT advice any paper to go for long or short term gain …Wether They choose any is their own SHAURI
IF the Press IS MEDIOCRE then thats GREAT NEWS for any enterpreneur for their is a NICHE to offer something BETTER….LAUNCH YOUR DAILY!!!
lord
I agree that the objective of private companies is to make money but one of the main responsibilities of a government is to provide security for the citizens. If the media are endangering that security through irresponsible reporting, then I would say they should be shut down.
You still haven’t responded to my assertion that the media in Kenya need self-censorship.
I am not interested in launching a Daily – am doing just fine thank you very much.
Kei O
If the media is endengering security of a people or a nation then FOR HEAVEN’s SAKE the Gov should shut it down…thats the government job
SELF CENCORSHIP is desirable but NOT MANDATORY….So it still rest on the government to regulate the content of the media…any other way is abdication of duty….
PATRIOTISM is not preached . ITS EARNED by a goverment….IF Western media are patriotic that means they love thier countries….for any reason…say justice,equity,democrazy,glorious past,succor to the poor,achievements,culture,language,science,technology,sports,art and so on.
To me PATRIOTISM is a DIVIDENT of sum of glorious histories of ANY NATION.
OUR nation is founded on colonialism,inequity,corruption,tribalism, no past of significance( Came into being ‘63) HENCE IT CANNOT REAP benefits now..
That does NOT MEAN we can NOT IMPROVE…THIS IS now the NICHE of a great leader to stick up and be great..then our nation will be great..then our people will have that religious feeling when talking of KENYA.. The way a Maasai would feel now by saying I AM A MAASAI.
MAKING a daily to fill ‘RESPONSIBILITY GAP” is not a prudent bussiness idea now …..for Believe or Not such a paper will not get AUDIENCE now for our social indcators are very bad…..
COLD TUSKER,
Why are you always hung up by the idea of “let’s reclaim the land kenyatta stole”
Honestly dude, GET OVER IT! Why so bent over agrarian issues?
this is the 21st century daddi,it’s the industrial age not agrarian
#Mzeiya
To be precise its the KNOWLEDGE AGE elswhere….Kenya… its still PRE aggrarain …CT got some point
mzeiya:
1) what is wrong with re-claiming the stolen land? The gains are much better than the cost.
2) the land could be given to industries, agro-processing and tourism… the kenyatta stole huge chunks of prime land in Nyali ripe for developing tourism related stuff.
3) Go after moi as well.
4) Show that theft is wrong. And no matter when… we will strive to get it back.
5) What were the clashes in 2008 about? Land…? And not land in Nairobi but AGRICULTURAL land.
According to Rostow – as lord says – we are pre-industrial i.e. primarily agrarian
Kenyan Dailies Still Don’t Get it!!!
English is quite a simple language stick to what KE is talking about. Some of us read the articles even though some are wrong its still the best publication in terms of business in Kenya. The issue was not who stole what… Stick to the point its not a political thread..
What is this obsession with Kenyatta’s land?
I have these visions of CT as a wild eyed native on a land grabbing spree with a spear and bow and arrow in hand – searching for the Kenyattas.
Utter waste of time.
On a serious note, we have digressed from the topic. And I propose that we get back to the topic at hand.
KE
I think the low level of IT development and market penetration in Kenya is probably what makes the Kenyan dailies engage in the ineffective strategy of charging for internet access.
If there was internet market saturation in the general population, perhaps it would then make business sense for them to rely solely on advertising. This may change with the completion of the optic fibre project. Hopefully this will help in widening acces to the internet for the rural people where 70% of Kenyans still live.