one way or the other, the work of journalists has been taken over by 

number one;

• content creators
• people who write vlogs
• people who do YouTubetubes

And number two;

• comedians in Kenya

 Most of the popular journalists, in quotes, that is, people who
work in these big media stations, the likes of Churchill and Eric Omondi.

Those are comedians, and you are there, you are saying you
Want to go and do journalism, please don’t.

Because we are saying that journalism, the traditional journalism as a field, as an
industry is actually on a decline and very soon, because of the advent of
streaming services like Netflix and Showmax, I think journalism as we know it
is not going to be there.

I actually don’t think there’s going to be a future for traditional TV stations,

Traditional radio stations and the like. Traditional newspapers, I think they 

are going out.  That is The Reality of Journalism Careers in Kenya today.

If you are serious about succeeding in life and you are passionate, saying that 

you want to go and do journalism is a wrong choice. So what should you do instead? 

I have three best courses in Kenya, both at the diploma and at the degree level, 

that I think could give you better career prospects than journalism.

The first course that you should do instead of journalism courses in Kenya is;

1. PR and communications

Yeah, we are talking about a course that will teach you how to
handle corporate PR. It may not be the most in-demand course 

to speak the truth because many organizations will not hire
a lot of PR officers. But again, it opens up so many opportunities for you
in the communication field. You could work not just as a PR officer but also in
marketing departments as a media officer for some of these organizations.

If you can pair this with a bit of digital marketing skills, then I think you will 

have opened for yourself a lot of opportunities both in the corporate world and

also in the digital communications field. So it’s actually better than journalism by
far because those institutions offering this one and they are knowledgeable in 

what they are doing. They have integrated inside their programs a lot of the digital

way of doing PR and communication. So it’s a better option.

 Another, and this is my favorite. This is always one of my all-time favorites.

2. Sales and marketing

So you feel apprehensive about PR because we are saying

organizations don’t need so many PR professionals. You could just do sales
and marketing. This can take you to so many careers in marketing and sales.

There is no single business that doesn’t need a marketer. There’s no single
business that doesn’t need a salesperson. So the last people to lack
jobs in this world, in my opinion, will be sales and marketing people. Think about it. 

So if there are sure bet marketable courses in Kenya out there, and you are that guy 

who feels that I like being in front-facing careers, that is, careers that face the public directly.

With the public directly, I mean sales and marketing can be a sure bet.

Don’t risk doing journalism degree kenya when it’s actually going out.

 You can see that even media Companies like Standard are not able to face salaries, not forgetting that many of them have fired a lot of journalists, and others are doing so. This is actually happening. Please consider doing sales and marketing.

There’s another one. I have selected the best degree courses kenya

for you because I believe people who want to do mass communication courses in kenya

are people who like;

• Dealing with the public.
• They passed languages
• They have also passed a bit of History

3. law

law can also be an option, and LLB, and of course, go and 

pass the diploma in law at the Kenya School of Law. Very, very important. And
you get admitted into the bar or the bench. That is, you can either become a
judge or work from their side being a lawyer.

I think lawyers will always have opportunities. Yeah. People are cutting deals.

People need to be represented in courts. I mean, lawyers make some quick money. You walk into an advocate office. You draft an agreement.

Maybe two people are buying a lad. One is a Seller one is a buyer.

Just like that, the lawyer pockets Ksh 10,000. So this is one of the best ones.

Yeah, I know it’s there, but a strategic person doing this
One, I think they have a lot of opportunities, at least in the next 10
years it will remain very, very relevant. You can also do;

4. Political Science

It doesn’t have very clear roles apart from working as a;

• political advisor
• Sometimes you can work as a diplomat
• Some of them can get opportunities in International relations with political
  Science.

 Especially if you think that you could make a politician. Those guys have money. Those
guys, I think they live a fancy life, especially those who are strategic. So
doing journalism, you can do this, get a way of working with the upcoming politicians.

At some point, there are so many of them around. And then grow. Hang on to them, and eventually you could get those seats yourself; if not, you could work in parliament, 

you could work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I think there are quite a number of
opportunities, and  I don’t think that this is a flooded course per se. 

Instead of doing journalism, personally, I wouldn’t find political science being
a bad one. Don’t do journalism, guys don’t do journalism, you will cry with your own two
Eyes. Others are  running away, and you are trying to go there, and it doesn’t make sense.

 Of course, you can also consider doing digital journalism, but I don’t find it
making a lot of sense because anybody with a smartphone, even me, can become a

reporter. So I don’t know where you’re going to sell your news

these days, for you to start out and make enough money. Yeah, digital is
better than traditional journalism. But I still don’t think that it makes sense
because there’s nothing to distinguish you from somebody like me who hasn’t done it. 

But they have a smartphone. It’s just a matter of recording, opening a
Facebook page, maybe posting my videos there on TikTok or Instagram.

I think now you know The Reality of Journalism Careers in Kenya Today.

So make the right decision today and avoid future issues when finding jobs.

 
PS: If interested in watching the video version of this, then here is the link.

The post The Reality of Journalism Careers in Kenya Today  appeared first on Kenya Education Guide.

Well, the short answer is: it is still marketable but not as it used to be in earlier years.

Here is our long answer..

Is journalism marketable in Kenya – the long answer

Let me now explain…

You see, because of the emergence of digital media (think of blogs, online radio and TV stations, YouTube, and the like), traditional media has been facing turbulence as more people turn to free news sources and social media.

As a result, you’re likely to have a better chance to make it in the field if you’re more digital oriented compared to someone who’s targeting to work as a traditional newscaster, reporter, producer, etc.

Don’t get me wrong: jobs are still there and some media personalities take home a lot of money……

You cannot, however, close your eyes to the fact that even leading media houses such as Nation Media group are increasingly turning digital as print newspaper circulation drop.

That means fewer jobs and the need for trainees to be creative and to look beyond the mainstream media.

As such, somebody who specializes in Digital Journalism is going to be more marketable moving forward.

Besides, you might need to be entrepreneurial.

For example, opening your own online news platform or even a YouTube channel can pay more (over time) vis-à-vis a fulltime job.

This can also be a great idea since it may take you some time to land full-time employment.

How else can you make yourself marketable as a journalist?

You could market yourself as a freelance editor both online and offline- there is a couple of outlets that engage editors on freelancing basis.

The other place you can offer your services is international writing platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr (register as a freelance writer).

Also consider writing a book or an eBook – you could earn some extra cash on the side from the book/eBook sales.

Likewise, there is no shortage of avenues to raise cash as a photojournalist- you can take and sell photos online on sites such as  Shutterstock (Earn up to $100-120 per image), iStockphoto, and many others.

You can freelance as a photojournalist too for various media houses or even work as a celebrity photographer with your skills.

Tips on how to become a journalist in Kenya

Here are some tips to point you in the right direction if you have decided that you still want to become a journalist in Kenya..

TIME OUT

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Now proceed reading below..

1.     Essential skills

To become successful as a journalist, you need to have a strong interest in the news and current affairs.

You’re the sort of person that will give anything just to watch news, read daily newspapers, magazines, etc.

You must also be an avid reader because you need to develop impeccable writing skills.

Other than that, you need to practice good speaking skills.

At a personal level, you must be very sociable and self-confident.

You also need to be objective in the way you see things.

2.     Desirable background

To make it as a journalist, having a strong background in journalistic and related activities will serve you well.

For example, trainees who have been actively involved in the journalism club while in high school find it easier.

Those who have participated in the drama or debating clubs are also at advantage when it comes to journalism courses.

3.     Required grades

Overall, for a degree in journalism, you must have scored a mean grade of C+ in KCSE with excellent grades in the languages (Kiswahili and English).

Those with a C- qualify for a Diploma in Journalism in local colleges.

Some colleges offer a certificate course in Journalism though it’s best to advance to at least the Diploma level if you want to be competitive.

4.     Where to train

Some of the best universities to study journalism in Kenya are:

• The University of Nairobi.
• Daystar University.
• Moi University.
• Maseno University.
• Riara University.

We recommend the government-owned Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) in South B as the best college to study if you’re taking a Diploma programme.

Read more: Journalism colleges in Kenya

Advantages of becoming a Journalist

• You’ll be rubbing shoulders with big names in Kenya – politicians, celebrities, business leaders, and more.
• There is a lot of travel in the process of hunting for news or information for feature articles.
• The pay is good especially if you secure employment with international media companies (even some local firms pay well).
• You’re always aware about the current happenings in the World.

Disadvantages of a journalism career

• You’ll be away from your family sometimes for many hours, for example, when covering events in far flung areas.
• The career can make you collide with people who may want to take revenge by harming you. For example, investigative journalists often face threats and sometimes they have to go in hiding.
• You may also be exposed to situations that hurt you emotionally, for instance, accident scenes, war zones, and more.
• There’s more competition nowadays and pay has been reducing consistently.

Is journalism marketable in Kenya – Recap

As we have seen, a journalism career may not be as prime as the way it was a few years ago because of the growth of digital media.

But there are opportunities for those who’re creative and open minded – we have explained them above.

Also don’t forget that journalism is a calling and you’ll scale to the top of the world over time if you’re passionate about it.

Good luck.

Also read:

Most Marketable Courses in Kenya

Top 30 Most Marketable Courses in Kenya

Most marketable short courses in Kenya

Is IT marketable in Kenya?

Business Courses that are Marketable in Kenya

Courses in Kenya that are marketable 

Journalism courses in Kenya

Online courses in Kenya

The post Is journalism marketable in Kenya? We answer appeared first on Kenya Education Guide.