An Assessment of Newsroom Convergence: Case Study of Nation Media Group’s Business Desk

Abstract

This study examined convergence at Nation Media Group using the business section as the case study. The study‘s objectives were; to find out how convergence has evolved at Nation Media Group‘s business desk since its conception in 2016; to find out the effect convergence has had on business news collection, analysis, packaging and dissemination, and to identify issues that are emerging in the context of multi-media and multi-platform content production at the business desk in Nation Media Group. Technology adaptation theory and media convergence theory were the anchors of the study. The research approach employed was qualitative and the research design was descriptive. The population of the study was 23 journalists and the sample population was 13 staff. The sampling method used was purposive. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with staff working in the business desk. The staff ranged from newspaper and television reporters, editors of both television and print, photo journalists and web subeditors. The findings were presented through narrative method. The findings of the study were that convergence at Nation Media Group‘s business desk had kept changing with new ideas and strategies being employed. Production of multi-media content for different platforms brought with it more demands and more workload to the journalists. Further, the process of assignment, packaging and production of content and distribution which was supposed to involve newspaper, television and online editors was partially working. The reporters also underscored the need for training to improve on convergence delivery. The study recommends that the digital desk which has only two journalists be expanded to collect the content for the website since online is the anchor of a converged desk. The study also recommends that the business desk should have one site for the three products, that is, Daily Nation business, Business Daily as well as NTV business. There is also the need for some monetary incentives for staff involved in convergence as well as an intensive training to the journalists.