Having firm safety and security intervention plans for media houses is one way to cushion journalists from eventualities.
Speaking during a needs assessment forum for station managers and journalists in Taita Taveta county on Thursday (January 26th 2023), the Regional Coordinator Maureen Mudi noted that different elements of media viability required that stations and journalists play their role in enhancing safety in the field and newsrooms.
During the session, different media industry issues including trends in the media sector, media viability, safety mechanism in media houses, were shared.
“Safety starts with you, and no story is worth your life. It is important that you understand if your organization has policies to protect you and how if as a manager, you can improve or come up with safety mechanisms for a better media house,” said Maureen.
She noted that the digital space was growing and media houses at the grassroot level should tap into opportunities and claim their share, in order to remain relevant.
Among the stations, Mwanedu FM station manager George Mwamodo, committed to improve their policies, with Radio Tumaini’s Rebecca Makeo, and Tsavo Media Network’s Hezron Kimari, and others, indicating that they will come up with one for their media platforms.
The forum was meant to engage media houses on their safety and protection policies and look into areas MCK can assist and advise.
Maureen indicated that media house owners signed a charter on safety and protection of journalists that would ensure collaboration of media houses and journalists while in the field, to safeguard their welfare and safety concerns.
She also noted that shrinking revenue streams in grassroot media houses and closure of some stations has brought out the need for innovation and challenged the media practitioners to explore ways of survival.
“The digital space is here with us, and different sectors are maximizing what is on the digital spaces and gaining massively by being consistent-bloggers too, have their work cut out and have their following. We should embrace the digital space and create relevance in handling both the traditional platforms that we have and this,” Maureen said.
She acknowledged journalists from the region who have been consistent in applying for grants sat MCK, and challenged the rest to take a leaf and learn from them.
“Pitching is a skill. For you to sell your story, you must package it well and make it appeal to everyone. It should be something unique and one that touches on real lives situations,” she said.