Kenya’s top editors have called for an urgent meeting of stakeholders to discuss the state of the media in the Covid-19 period and develop joint approaches to solve problems facing the industry.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Kenya, media houses have been laying off journalists and support staff, and enforcing pay cuts and KEG expressed concern that some of the austerity measures are being implemented in ways that are unfair to those affected, and in the long run will harm the practice of journalism in the country.
Some media houses may have to shut down altogether if they do not find ways to survive until the pandemic ends and a normal business environment resumes,” KEG said in the statement, signed by its executive council.
The Guild expressed concern that some media houses may be taking advantage of the pandemic to enforce layoffs and salary cuts, warning that journalists now face the double jeopardy of being victims of the economic travails facing media houses.
KEG says the convention should include other representative bodies, including the Kenya Union of Journalists, Kenya Correspondents Association, Association of Media Women in Kenya, Media Owners Association, the Media Council of Kenya, Communications Authority, and the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology.