Radio Africa Group, MCK sign internship deal for media trainees

Radio Africa Group and the Media Council of Kenya have signed an agreement towards the implementation of an industrial placement programme for journalism and media students.

The deal, signed on Tuesday by Radio Africa Head of Content Paul Ilado and MCK chief executive officer CEO David Omwayo, provides for joint placement, supervision, and assessment of candidates. The programme was launched by MCK on September 16, 2021.

MCK will issue a call to media enterprises to express interest in taking interns. Interested candidates will be required to apply. A panel will be established to review the applications and select qualified candidates in a transparent and fair process.

Successful candidates will be notified within two weeks of selection and advised on the way forward.

The placement process will be done jointly by MCK and media enterprises. Placements will be determined by the suitability of the candidates and the available resource to sustain them.

The media enterprises will be required to specify the number of places available and areas of specialisation, as well as the skills they can support. The MCK, on the other hand, will issue interns with accreditation cards for a smooth working environment.

Speaking during the event, Omwoyo said MCK and media enterprises will work together to achieve their goal.

"We will run the process in collaboration with each media house so that it is a win-win arrangement between all parties," he said

Ilado said he had faith in the programme, adding that it will help many young people to nurture their talent and careers.

"We are very happy with this arrangement, which will help us nurture the next lot of journalists," he said.

"We believe that those who come to Radio Africa Group will be able to benefit from our experiences and the wide offering of our media products."

In case the MCK will want to place interns with media houses outside the scope of the programme and terms of the agreement, it will have to agree with media enterprises on a written document.

The supervision of interns will be done jointly by the MCK, media enterprises, and universities/middle-level training colleges. The interns will be assigned supervisors who will in return write detailed reports on their performances.

The parties will combine their respective competencies and capacities in introducing the trainees to the culture of work, ensuring qualified candidates develop work-based skills and ethics, enhancing professional standards and training linkage, and conducting joint programme publicity and visibility as and when applicable.

The MCK will be the overall lead and supervisor of the programme. Each party shall carry its own liability and operate its own processes independently from the other and not bind the other in any way without its written consent.

The parties will be required to put all agreements both written and oral confidential. In case of breach of any agreed matter, the issue shall be solved by the court of law.

At the end of the programme, MCK will be required to issue a detailed report on the intern's performance and the media enterprises will be required to issue recommendation letters to trainees.