Some 2, 000 journalists have been laid off by various media houses in the country in the last five years, Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo has said.
Omwoyo said less than 50 per cent of journalists who were employed five years ago are still in employment now. He said there are 15, 000 journalists accredited by the MCK.
“The layoffs aren’t the end of life; it’s just the beginning. When you leave a newsroom, it doesn’t mean you have now been condemned to die. It’s the media house that is unable to buy your content and skills,” Omwoyo said.
He addressed the press in Machakos County on Friday.
Omwoyo continued, “The consumers haven’t died and the world hasn’t stopped. If you are a professional journalist specializing in sports or agriculture, for instance, the fact that a media house is unable to sustain you doesn’t mean you have stopped being a journalist. Make sure you are a communication and journalism professional since you have a skill. You will live on this forever whether you are employed in a media house or not.
He presided over the official launch of the Content Management and Monetization Platform for Kenya’s press clubs.
Omwoyo said the Council remains committed to supporting journalists, media practitioners and content creators in enhancing their skills, monetizing content and advocating for the right to information in the digital age.
He said press clubs had become the new newsrooms over the past few years.
“Initially, we had newsrooms dedicated to media houses. Now, we have press clubs as working areas dedicated to several media houses. So, the 18 press clubs we have so far launched across the country allow journalists either working in media houses or as independent content producers to get working spaces, generate content, and monetise it."
"This means that you can get a story or any other content and distribute it to several channels to get income. So, launching this information portal is an avenue for training, exchange of information, monetization, negotiating with media houses and other consumers of the content,” Omwoyo said.
He said MCK was committed to pushing the clubs from 18 to about 50 or 100 in number in the next few years.
Omwoyo said this is to ensure that journalists have jobs, whether attached to media houses or not.
“There is someone who will consume the content you generate whether the person is within the region you are in, in Kenya or outside the country. So, by launching this information portal, training and monetization means that as an individual, you don’t need a media house to earn a salary at the end of the month. You just need to generate good quality content to sustain yourself,” he said.
He said the clubs offer adequate, reliable and safe spaces for journalists to work; hence, they don’t need to operate from hotel corridors or on fluctuating internet.
Omwoyo retaliated that Journalism, Media and Communications space had been invaded by what he termed charlatans and everyone, despite being a profession.
“Everybody thinks they can manage this. The noisemakers can’t manage journalism, media and communications. This is a professional skill; it takes training and skills to do it,” he said.
He said the Press club was turning out to be the bigger thing in that even if media houses were unable to consume journalists’ skills, one still has networks of journalists and media organisations.
“Join press clubs and you will never lose when your media house isn’t taking your content. You remain relevant as your content sells," Omwoyo said.