Abstract:
The media landscape has changed the world over in the past two decades as a result of
the development of the Internet and new media technologies. The print media in Kenya
followed the trend taken by others in the developed world to adopt new media
technologies in what is called media convergence. A review of relevant literature;
however, shows that minimal research has emerged on the subject of media
convergence in Kenya and Africa. Hence, the overall objective of this study was to
investigate print media in Kenya – the Daily Nation, The Standard and The Star –
responses to the disruptions occasioned by media convergence. The study sought to find
out the media managers and journalists’ perceptions of the impact of convergence in
news gathering, production and distribution. The study site was Nairobi where the
headquarters of the three media houses are situated. The specific research questions
were: What are the print media managers’ constructions of the dynamics posed by
convergence of old and new media technologies? How do print media policies and
practices adjust to the dynamics posed by convergence of old and new media
technologies? What are the perceptions of journalists on the opportunities for
convergence of old and new media platforms for professional use? This study hinged on
the Theory of Media Convergence, the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and the
Convergence Continuum Model as the theoretical frameworks that guided the
discussion of the findings. The relativist-interpretivist research paradigm and the
qualitative multiple case study design were adopted for this study. Data were generated
using in-depth interviews, observation and document analysis. A sample size of 21
respondents from a population of 200 journalists who included managers, editors and
reporters was selected purposively from the three newspapers and drawn from both the
print and online teams. Data were analysed thematically and presented in a narrative
form. Ethical considerations of confidentiality and privacy of participants were adhered
to. Findings were as follows: Print media managers perceived continuous innovations in
adoption of new technologies and content creation as a necessity. However, due to the
nature of new technologies to change very fast, coupled with their prohibitive cost, print
media was finding it difficult to fully implement convergence. Print media policies and
practices have variously adjusted to the dynamics posed by convergence of old and new
media technologies. Some practices of doing journalism in the digital era have been
implemented, while others have not; tools for verification of news have been partially
adopted for use by journalists yet fake news is a big threat. Journalists perceive new
media platforms as powerful tools of trade with Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp as the
most preferred. However, journalists were not adequately equipped with the necessary
skills to handle new technologies. Based on the findings, it is concluded that the pace of
adoption and use of innovations was slow and inconsistent to make it possible for print
media in Kenya to fully reap the benefits of convergence journalism. Arising from the
study, it is recommended that print media houses ought to put in place mechanisms that
will speed up use of new media technologies in newsrooms. There is a need to equip
journalists with relevant technological equipment and skills to function effectively in
modern newsrooms.