Pamella Sittoni cut out for new role as NMG print boss

The reappointment of Pamella Sittoni to a powerful and decision-making position in the global scale of media industry, leaves a mark of encouragement to the upcoming women journalists.

That, yes, working in the media “can be fulfilling if you are driven by a purpose to make a difference,” as she put it.

Ms Sittoni is an experienced journalist and global media icon.

In 2017, World Association of News Publishers named her the winner of the Women in News Editorial Leadership Award for Sub-Saharan Africa.

She is also a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, through the Africa Leadership Initiative.

On Monday, Nation Media Group (NMG) Editorial Director Joe Ageyo re-crowned her the executive editor of Daily Nation.

Her reassignment comes with an expanded bundle of responsibilities unlike when she held the position earlier.

In her previous three-year (Jan 2019 - Feb 2022) tenure at the helm of the Daily Nation, Ms Sittoni was primarily in charge of the newspaper published from Monday to Friday.

New role

Now, in her reassigned roles, she is the overall boss of all print publications.

She takes over this role at a critically crucial time when NMG has embarked on a digital transformation journey.

But Ms Sittoni is superbly cut out for the challenge.

“I welcome this new role,” she said in an interview with this reporter on Monday.

“I take over this role when all efforts must be made to sustain the print media,” she enthused confidence.

On driving the new phase of growing NMG’s digital content, she said: “We acknowledge that many of the consumers of our content are on the digital platforms more so mobile phones, and we are happy to reach them where they are with our content to transform their lives positively.”

Ms Sittoni’s achievements set her apart as the epitome of excellence that women journalists at the entry or middle level can look up to.

She rose from a reporter at Daily Nation to a sub-editor. Later, she was promoted to an assistant deputy chief sub-editor before she became a deputy chief sub-editor. 

Thereafter, she was named the chief sub-editor, the first woman to ever hold that position in the history of Kenyan media.

In 2003, she left NMG to join Standard Group as a deputy managing editor. Later, the management appointed her Managing Editor.

In 2012, she re-joined NMG as the managing editor for The East African, a position she held until 2019 when she was moved to the Daily Nation desk to serve in the same capacity.

Ten months ago, she was named Executive Editor, Partnerships.  Under her leadership, the media house signed multiple partnerships including road safety partnership with Prudence Foundation and another with United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), promoting children’s rights.

Greatest assignment

Ms Sittoni is a member of the World Editors Forum board and a trustee of the Kenya Editors Guild, where she chairs the strategy committee.

She also sits on the board of Africa Check, Africa’s first independent fact-checking organisation, launched in 2012 to promote accuracy in public debate.

She is also a member of the Women Corporate Directors board (Kenya Chapter), where she chairs the Public Relations and Communications Committee.

She is a graduate of the Unicef Leadership Initiative.

She holds an undergraduate degree in Literature and Anthropology and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Communication from the University of Nairobi.

She also acquired her Master's degree in Communication (New Media, Democracy and Governance) from the University of Leicester.

Ms Sittoni endeavours to mentor many women journalists.

“I hope to see more women rise to leadership positions and my greatest assignment at this time is to mentor as many women journalists as I can who will take over from our generation,” she said.

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