The impact of layoffs on journalists who remain employed by media Organisations in Kenya

Author

Gloria Lihavi Aradi

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism (MADJ)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Lydia Radoli,

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Thrity Engineer

Department

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Abstract

The digital revolution in Kenya has caused a mass migration of audiences from traditional to digital media platforms, leading to record drops in legacy media revenues and profits. To cope with the continued shrinking of revenues, legacy media entities in Kenya frequently implement workforce reductions. In mid-2024, Kenya’s two largest media companies, NMG and SG, announced hundreds of job cuts, marking one of the biggest downsizings in the history of the country’s media industry. The move of one of the country’s biggest newspapers, People Daily, to a fully online publication in November 2024 could also signal more job cuts. However, the implementation of layoffs by Kenyan media organisations is often done to the detriment of journalists, including those who lose their jobs and those who remain in newsrooms post-layoffs. This study employed a qualitative approach and in-depth interviews with Kenyan journalists who have survived layoffs and two key respondents representing collective media organisations to understand the issues layoff survivors face in newsrooms - from more intense workloads to heightened job insecurity, survivor’s guilt, and shift in career goals. The study also examined the coping mechanisms these journalists adopt to deal with difficulties caused by layoffs and the extent of support they receive from their employers and collective journalism organisations. This research will ideally enhance awareness of the challenges journalists who remain in newsrooms experience post-layoffs. This knowledge is also anticipated to guide media employers, policymakers, collective media associations, and other stakeholders in providing better interventions and support services to layoff survivors.

Recommended Citation

Gloria Lihavi Aradi. (2025). The impact of layoffs on journalists who remain employed by media Organisations in Kenya (Unpublished thesis). Nairobi: Aga Khan University - Graduate School of Media and Communications.