By Jemima Oloo

The School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts in partnership with Tuko Kenya held an educative and insightful Masterclass on ‘Media Digital Disruption’. Tuko Kenya prides itself as the number one digital platform in Kenya. The Masterclass was a platform for journalism students to focus on digital disruption, the need to bridge the skills gap in the field of communication and the changes in the digital arena of communication.

In attendance were Dean, School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, Dr. Geoffrey Sikolia, Head of Department, Media and Communications, Ms. Robi Koki, Managing Editor at Tuko, Jacob Otieno, Editor in Chief, Viral Tea Kenya, Marvin Chege, Social Media manager at Tuko Chris Oyier and Public Relations Manager, Ruby Orimba

In his presentation, the Managing Editor, Chris Oyier said that journalists need to adapt to the rapidly changing technologies and digital storytelling formats. “Digital disruption is the evolution of the media industry driven by the advancements in digital technology. These disruptions are changing the traditional ways in which news and information is produced, disseminated and consumed,” he emphasized.

The drivers to this disruption include an array of factors such as increased internet access, citizen journalism, the rising social media explosion and the new business models available. This necessitates key stakeholders in the field to work and match the evolving trends. In addition, Chris mentioned that all the stakeholders have a part to play and urged journalists to adapt to the rapidly changing technologies and digital storytelling formats.

Media educators should ensure that the curriculum is in tandem with the current industry trends with emphasis on practical skills. Journalism Schools should work with media houses or media entities for internships or volunteer opportunities to quickly bridge the gap between theory and practice and finally media consumers. The future is digital; hence journalist and communication practitioners should make use of all available digital tools to create and disseminate news.

The session ended with an encouragement to the young journalists to acquire skills in multimedia and content creation, data analysis, social media management, knowledge in Google and Facebook polices as well as knowledge in search engine optimization and algorithms.