Media of Kenya in a nutshell

At the outset of this blog assignment I knew absolutely nothing about Kenya, especially the media in that country. What I did know however, was that Kenya is an East African country that struggles with poverty, political corruption and health issues of its' people. Kenya also boasts a very diverse culture, filled with pride and a high sense of nationalism. Kenyans are a proud people, they have great food, music, and clothing, but most of all, they take great pride in their heritage. Kenya was not my first choice for this assignment, but I am very appreciative to the person who chose Spain before me. I have learned a great deal, not only about the media, but about the fantastic country that is Kenya.

Kenya's media is perhaps one of the most vibrant and youthful entities in Africa. Their newspapers are filled with colorful articles, pictures, and editorials about the happenings in Africa, as well as the world. Although the literacy rate is not extremely high, the writers at The Standard, The Nation, and many other periodicals throughout Kenya, are very well spoken, and are also well versed in AP Style writing. I found it surprising that the writer's for these newspapers were as good as they were, but after further research, a lot of them went to specific journalism schools that catered to their love of writing.

Some of the best articles I read were not on anything having to do with politics or all the revolutions throughout the Middle East, but rather on the Heritage of Kenya itself. The big media outlets in Kenya covered the issues in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and the other's who were having problems to an extent, but not like they covered their own country. The writer's in Kenya take serious pride in their country, and it showed throughout the semester as I followed the East African Nation. They have a lot different tribes and languages that really feed into the diversity of the country, and make their media one that is distinct from others.

Throughout my coverage of the media in Kenya, I have learned that just because a country may be less developed, or that country may not have as many means to create a stable, thriving media, all it takes is for people to have a passion for reporting. Kenya is one of the most poverty ridden countries in the world, but the people who write for their media entities take great pride in their job, and it shows. If there is one thing that will bring Kenya out of its' struggle with poverty, and turn that country into what it is aspiring to be, it is their media - I just hope they don't lose sight of their fantastic heritage.