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, I shall be answering this question and educating you on other important details about mass communication courses in Kenya..

To start with, let me try to answer the question that I’m asked most often: is journalism and mass communication marketable in Kenya?

Is journalism and mass communication marketable in Kenya?

Now, journalism and mass communication is still a marketable course in Kenya….but don’t be so fast to celebrate..

It is not as marketable as it used due to a variety of reasons – and I will look at some of them below:

Media houses hire comedians

First, most media houses have a tendency to hire comedians instead of qualified journalists for their radio stations to try and attract the fans of the comedian to the station.

Think of Jalang’o, Baite, Mwala, etc- these comedians and others all work for different FM stations -or have at one time done so.

Similarly, some of the stations employ musicians and other celebrities..

And that means fewer jobs for trained journalists in Kenya.

The internet has disrupted media businesses in a big way

The other major cause of reduced employment opportunities in traditional media businesses is the internet.

You see, a lot of people now rely on social media and online platforms for news and entertainment content instead of Newspapers, TV, and Radio (Think of Tuko, Operanews, kahawatungu, Kenyans.co.ke, and more.

And that has eaten into the market shares (and, of course, income) that media houses control though Nation, The Star, Citizen, and other conventional media players are now going digital.

But don’t worry…despite this being the situation, you can still make a career as mass media professional..

Here is what you need to do:

Focus on digital Journalism

The world has shifted to the internet in nearly all ways and journalism has not been left behind.

For that reason, you should target learning digital journalism rather than the old way of doing things.

And it is good that there are a couple of digital mass communication courses in Kenya including Diploma in Digital Journalism at ADMI and KCA university.

You can even go as high as a Master of Arts (MA) in Digital Journalism (This is offered at Aga Khan University).

Become multi-skilled

To be successful in mass media today, you need to be multi-dimensional.

Put another way, the secret is having as many skills as possible so that you can fit into any role that arises.

Here are some examples of what will make you more marketable:

• Digital mapping skills(helps you produce maps for online outlets)
• Data visualization using tools such as Tableau, Refine, Flourish, etc.
• Video production and making explainer videos / animations using software such as Final Cut Pro, After Effects, etc.
• Production of long-form digital features like http://goo.gl/GHdurD with a tool like Shorthand
• Gathering information through Freedom-of-Information requests
• Negotiation skills (you will be negotiating with officials for data & open records)
• Advanced Excel features like pivot tables
• Data processing skills using languages like R
• Social media accounts management skills
• Traffic monitoring skills
• Use of design software (such as Photoshop) to produce composite images
• Photography skills
• Knowledge of publication process (print / digital)
• Excellent research skills

Definitely there’s no shortcut…

You won’t get hired with just one skill unless you’re super lucky.

Adopt an entrepreneurial brain

You also need to start thinking like entrepreneur.

The truth is you don’t have to wait for someone to employ you if you have all the above skills.

The thing is, you can start with basic things like opening a YouTube channel or a blog and build slowly towards something bigger like a fully-fledged only multimedia platform such as kenyamoja.com

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Now proceed reading below..

Is mass communication marketable in Kenya?

Refer to my answer above..

Let us now look at the available Mass communication courses in Kenya, their qualifications including Bachelor of journalism and mass communication requirements, where you can study, and your career prospects.

Mass communication courses in Kenya

Degree (Bachelors)

• Journalism
• Film Animation
• Media Science
• Communication and Media Technology
• Social Communication
• Applied Communication
• Kiswahili and Media Studies
• Communication and media studies
• Broadcast journalism

Minimum qualifications

KCSE Mean grade: C+

Other requirements

English/Kiswahili: B (some universities will accept a C+ in English/Kiswahili)

Alternative entry requirements

C plain KCSE mean grade +a Diploma in Mass Communication/or equivalent from any recognised post-secondary institution.

Diploma

• Graphic Design
• Mass Communication
• Journalism and Mass Media

Minimum qualifications

Mean Grade: C plain

Other requirements

English/Kiswahili: C in English and Kiswahili plus any other two subjects

Certificate

• Journalism and Mass Media
• Broadcast Journalism
• Radio and Television Presentation Techniques

Minimum qualifications

Mean Grade: C- (C- in Kiswahili and English and any other two subjects) 

Career prospects for those who do mass communication courses in Kenya

• Communications specialist
• News editor
• Digital editor
• Copy editor/writer
• Content developer (digital media)
• Documentary maker
• Digital producer
• Editor/publisher
• Literary talent agent
• PR assistant
• Reporter
• Video Camera Operator
• Photographer
• Studio Technician
• Newscaster
• Journalist
• Script Writer
• Media Planner
• Multimedia Specialist
• Programme Researcher
• Broadcaster
• Editor
• Public Relations Officer
• Television/Film Producer
• Video Producer
• Web Content Manager

What is mass communication?

Mass media communication is the process of disseminating information on a large scale to different audiences.

Something else…

Studies in mass communication and media involve the practice of journalism, as well as the various methods of sharing information with targeted audiences through the use of varied tools including the following:

1. Newspapers
2. Television
3. Radio
4. Magazines
5. Cinema
6. Films
7. The internet
8. Billboards
9. Brochures
10. Books
11. Flash discs
12. Compact discs(cds)
13. Digital Versatile Discs(DVDs )
14. Videocassettes and other forms of print, electronic, or digital resources.

Essentially, a journalist gathers, collates, writes, and delivers news or other current information to the public or selected audiences.

Key skills and interests required to pursue a career in this field

• Good command of the chosen language of communication
• Outstanding communication skills(verbal and written)
• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Adaptability
• Research skills
• Team spirit
• Self confidence
• Self-presentation
• Analytical mind
• Attention to detail
• Social responsibility
• Work independently with minimum supervision
• Lifelong learning skills

What the job /career /profession entails

The duties and responsibility vary with the area of mass communication you are in.

That said, most experts in this field are involved in the following tasks:

• Gathering relevant information
• Editing and presenting information as news, broadcast features, social media posts, or articles in print
• Photography at events for publication
• Operating and maintaining video cameras
• Designing computer-based graphics
• Creating original visual information displays and graphics
• Designing and producing communications for multi-media platforms
• Designing and managing websites
• Managing operations in radio and television stations

PS: Remember our job here at Kenya Education Guide is to inform you about education related matters such as best courses in Kenya, where to study, scholarships in Kenya, and more. Keep following us

ALSO READ:

Journalism courses in Kenya(Entry grades, where to study, etc)

Is journalism marketable in Kenya?

Best Journalism colleges in Kenya (updated list)

The post Mass communication courses in Kenya [All you need to know] appeared first on Kenya Education Guide.