SECTOR 2

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country minimally meets aspects of the indicator.

3

Country meets many aspects of indicator but
progress may be too recent to judge.

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator.

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator and has
been doing so over time.

Average score: 			

3.8 (2005=4.8; 2007=4.4)

2.3
Efforts are undertaken to increase the scope
of circulation of the print media, particularly to rural
communities.
Analysis
Mainstream dailies concentrate on national issues and the metropolitan region.
Coverage of rural areas is limited to provincial or regional “Round-ups” or “Briefs”.
Moreover, a significant percentage of content is corporate supplements which do
not carry development issues like agriculture, which would interest rural-based
readers.
Individual media houses have made some efforts to reach the rural communities.
The Standard expanded their rural bureau for example to Nyeri, in the central parts
of the country, but recorded low returns. The Nation started sending free copies of
their Kiswahili newspaper Taifa Leo to schools under the project of “Newspaper in
Education,” to increase literacy and in the long run, capture the market.
In this scenario, the alternative media have taken the opportunity to establish and
expand their presence in both urban and rural areas. There are now 46 alternative
media outlets. In addition, the post-election violence changed the patterns of
readership, listenership and viewership, to a more discerning selection of national
and regional media outlets and coverage.

28

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER KENYA 2009

Select target paragraph3