Gossip Pages, Influencers Displace Kenyan Media

NAIROBI — Alternative media outlets and influencers led the discourse on nationwide protests in Kenya on Instagram and Facebook, often outpacing legacy media outlets in reach and engagement.

Their performance comes against the backdrop of mass layoffs and major losses by the country’s largest legacy media companies — pointing to the evolution of news consumption in Kenya.

Analysis of around 28,000 news posts from between May and July on the Meta-owned platforms, by Nairobi research firm OdipoDev, found that popular celebrity news and lifestyle page Nairobi Gossip Club (NGC) was Kenya’s leading source of news on Meta-owned platforms.

NGC attracted the greatest number of video views, post engagements, and interactions on Instagram and Facebook, far surpassing legacy media brands. NGC had nearly 3 million more interactions in June than its nearest competitor, Citizen TV. Five alternative media outlets — including digital publishers Tuko, Mpasho and Kenyans.co.ke — were among the 10 leading media outlets by total interactions over the period on Facebook and Instagram.

Researchers partly attributed the trend to Meta’s adoption of a TikTok-style ‘for you’ algorithm on Instagram. By prioritizing content discovery and engagement over follower counts, smaller pages can more easily compete with large, established media houses.

“The average news consumer is not going online to look for news, the news finds them,” the project’s lead researcher Norbert Mburu said. “Alternative outlets are now at a place where they have significant mass reach, and influencers have trust.”

He said legacy media companies would have to rethink how they present and package news content for digital audiences to maintain a foothold in the space, especially among younger people.

Kenya’s two largest media companies — Nation Media Group (NMG) and Standard Group are both navigating financial downturns. In recent months, they both have undertaken mass layoffs citing evolving media consumption trends.

Standard Group, Kenya’s oldest media organization, recorded a net loss of Kes1.261 billion ($9.7 million) in 2023, widening from 865 million ($6.7 million) a year earlier. It announced layoffs of over 300 employees in June.

Nation Media Group posted a net loss of Kes572.2 million ($4.4 million) in the first six months of 2024, compared to a modest profit of Kes2.9 million in the same period last year. It also announced a restructuring effort targeting an unspecified number of employees. Like Standard, it cited the need to adapt to a changing media landscape.

Considering the heightened need for information during the nationwide protests makes the performance of alternative media outlets far more impressive. It proves that, as in the US where podcast appearances and new media played a key role in the election of Donald Trump, alternative media and influencers have a crucial place in civic engagement and political mobilization in Africa.

Legacy media brands however still have a chance to reinvent themselves for a new age, and cater to digital audiences. One of the advantages they still hold over alternative outlets, Mburu noted, is the ability to set agendas that often form the basis of discussions and debates on social media.