Newspaper readership, confidence in media surge, report shows
Media Council of Kenya chief executive David Omwoyo.
What you need to know:
- According to the report, the Daily Nation is the most read newspaper in the country with 47 per cent, followed by The Standard at 27 per cent and Taifa Leo is third at 8 per cent.
Mr Maina Muiruri, the chairman of MCK, said the Kenyan media was in the middle of digital disruption and at the adoption stages of online media journalism.
Kenyans’ confidence in the media remains high, according to the latest survey on the media industry, with the rating increasing by six per cent.
Launching the report in Naivasha yesterday, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) chief executive David Omwoyo said the rating increased from 91 per cent in 2019 to 97 per cent this year.
He pointed out that only 3 per cent of the respondents indicated they did not have confidence in the media compared to seven per cent last year.
“That is an indication that the majority of Kenyans have faith in the media and the industry should strive to keep its place as the most trusted entity,” said Mr Omwoyo.
The CEO further revealed that television and radio were the most-trusted media platforms with social media mostly used for networking as stated by 39 per cent of the surveyed respondents.
“WhatsApp and Facebook are the most preferred social media platforms for the dissemination of information,” added Mr Omwoyo.
According to the report, the Daily Nation is the most read newspaper in the country with 47 per cent, followed by The Standard at 27 per cent and Taifa Leo is third at 8 per cent.
Mr Omwoyo further disclosed that newspaper readership rose from 21 per cent last year to 25 per cent.
“Television viewership currently stands at 74 per cent in comparison to 2019, which was at 73 per cent,” stated the CEO.
He told participants that Citizen TV had the largest viewership at 35 per cent, with NTV standing at 13 per cent.
It was not all gloom due to the ripple effect of Covid-19, with 55 per cent of those surveyed indicating that their media usage had increased during the pandemic.
Mr Maina Muiruri, the chairman of MCK, said the Kenyan media was in the middle of digital disruption and at the adoption stages of online media journalism.
“To that extent, mainstream media have made sweeping changes to their business models and changed the way they deliver news,” he noted.
He advised media practitioners that the changing face of the media in the country and globally necessitated comprehensive assessment and realignments if media houses are to continue playing their cardinal role.
Mr Muiruri regretted that the Kenyan media has routinely been subjected to attacks by security forces, the public and threats and intimidation from politicians.
“Kenya has been ranked 103 out of 180 countries listed in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index according to Reporters Without Frontiers (RFS), with the country dropping three places,’ said the MCK chairman .
