Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA) in Digital Journalism​

First Advisor

Peter Kimani

Department

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Abstract

Revenue sources for traditional media houses have been decreasing and media houses need to be able to find alternative ways to increase revenue. The Kenyan media industry is struggling to generate revenue due to shifts in business models where advertisers are targeting potential customers directly instead of using traditional media. This study adopted a qualitative research approach and utilized a case study research design to fulfil its research objectives: (i) To identify key factors influencing successful monetization on NMG’s platform. (ii) To analyze the successes and failures of NMG monetization strategies during the past five years, and (iii) To develop and propose a roadmap for optimizing NMG’s digital platform monetization strategies. The study revealed that despite robust paywalls some individuals and organizations bypass these restrictions making NMG’s ability to monetize journalism extremely difficult. The study also showed that being a data-led newsroom is key as it aids news organizations in making informed decisions, tracking how each published story is performing and being able to offer targeted advertising to the users. User experience also emerged to be a key element in ensuring that subscribers get value for money this is achieved through fast loading time and ease of navigation of the platform. The study concluded that to assess the long-term viability of maintaining a business model, one needs to consider the regional impact and economic resilience while ensuring everyone in the organization works towards the same goal. In this age, technology adaptation is important as it drives customer experiences and enables media practitioners to optimize processes and make informed decisions. Developing innovative products and services that meet evolving customer needs and preferences is essential for media organizations to remain relevant, and a media organization having more than one source of income will enable them to be self-sufficient to carry out their editorial obligations.

Download

Share

COinS