The future and prospects of online journalism in Kenya: a case study of the Standard online

Abstract

Online journalism is a relatively new medium in mass journalism. It has progressed rapidly in recent years since the development and widespread use of the Internet and World Wide Web. Technology changes rapidly, and thus the future of online journalism is exciting and virtually limitless. This study aimed at determining the future and prospects of online journalism in Kenya, case of The Standard Online. The study also sought to establish how adoption of online journalism influences efficiency in the media industry, investigate the challenges facing adoption of online journalism in the mass media industry and determine the benefits of online journalism in mass media industry.

The design of this research was a descriptive survey research. The target population of this study was therefore 183 journalists working in The Standard Group. This study used simple random sampling to select 39 journalists out of the total 183 journalists. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was then summarised, coded and tabulated. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviation and frequency distribution were used to analyse the data. Content analysis was also used to analyse qualitative data from open ended questions.

This study therefore recommends that the govemment should reduce tax on webhosting and internet services so as to increase the availability of internet services in the country. This will increase the accessibility of online services in most parts of the country. This study also recommends that The Standard Online should diversify its products to include advertisements in its websites. The study also recommends that the media industry should fully adopt online journalism so as to increase competition, which will subsequently enhance quality of news.