Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA) in Digital Journalism​

First Advisor

David Aduda

Second Advisor

Alex Taremwa

Department

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Abstract

This study sought to examine the strategies employed by media organizations in Uganda to generate revenue from their content within the digital landscape. The specific objectives were: (i) To establish the criteria media houses use to select content for publication in the digital era., (ii) to examine monetization strategies that mainstream media have instituted in the disrupted media environment, (iii) to assess the viability of monetization strategies that mainstream media have instituted in the disrupted media environment. The study used the qualitative approach and adopted the case study research design. It focused on two media organizations, Vision Media Group and Nation Media Group. Interviews were conducted with editors, digital strategists, business managers, and partnerships and monetization managers, while key informants provided additional insights. The Disruptive Innovation, Industrial Organization, and Social Responsibility theories guided the research study. The researcher used an interview guide as a research tool to generate data. The study found that the digital disruption of the media environment has significantly impacted mainstream media operations, leading to a decline in traditional advertising revenue streams. Despite this decline, the findings also showed that advertising is the primary revenue source of Vision Media Group and Nation Media Group in Uganda. What has changed is the advertising approach; media houses have had to become more innovative and creative to stay relevant. Instead of relying on solely traditional advertising formats such as ad banners, the media organizations have now explored alternative strategies such as sponsored content, partnerships, subscriptions, hosting events, live streaming, leveraging social media advertising, establishing smaller websites, and monetizing archives.

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