Nation Media Group has unveiled six top editors to lead its newsroom integration that will be concluded in June.
The Nairobi-based regional media house last year launched a restructuring drive to deliver content under the mantra of ‘audience first’.
Joe Ageyo, the editorial director, while unveiling the team, said the six will be the “midwives” to deliver the integration baby.
Pamela Sittoni, who has been the executive editor, is now the group managing editor while Washington Gikunju moves from managing the company’s twin weekend papers — Saturday and Sunday Nation — to become the news boss as managing editor.
Bernard Mwinzi, a prolific writer who has held top editorial jobs at the media house well-known among scribes as the twin-towers, is the content hubs editor to be in charge of special projects as the media house sets sights on producing premium content on subjects such as business, climate change, sports, and education.
Oliver Mathenge is the new audiences management editor who will guide the business of analysing news consumer behaviour at a time world newsrooms are investing more in digital journalism and tracking performance of content.
James Smart, a broadcast and online media journalist, has been appointed the production managing editor to oversee quality.
Indefatigable Elias Makori will stay on as the sports desk lead while overseeing integration across the group.
Makori has given NMG a dedicated service of about 30 years uninterrupted and recently got a rare cake-cut honour at the Nation Centre for his focus and loyalty to his employer.
Among other honours, he has a rich list of awards, many of them global, having covered various events across the world, from where he rubs shoulders with Who’s Who in sports management and players.
He is expected to boost NMG’s quest for producing exclusive and prime content from its ‘clusters of expertise’ that Mr Ageyo says will be populated with writers with a rich list of key sources or informants.
Mr Ageyo said Mr Gikunju was “widely travelled” in the newsroom having worked “everywhere”, including at Business Daily, The EastAfrican, Daily Nation, Saturday Nation and Sunday Nation.
A respected business news writer and editor, Mr Gikunju launched his newsroom tour at The Standard in 2006 and has had a stellar journalism and held key roles, placing him on the pedestal of influential editors in Kenya.
In the next two months, the Nation newsroom is expected to be turned upside down when the multi-media juggernaut appoints what it calls Level 2 editors to be in charge of brands and new roles.
“Roles have been merged and there will be a competitive process to get new leaders for the existing products and some other new roles,” Mr Ageyo told employees on Wednesday morning.
The company engaged consultants from FT to help it with this restructuring that is now ending after many months that have been a nail-biting period for most scribes who keep claiming the project would see workers sent home.
Indeed, in his address, Mr Ageyo said the project, among other goals, aims at cutting duplication of roles, simplifying processes, and making the business more sustainable.
Stephen Gitagama, the chief executive, asked the Nation journalists to accept the change, although “it is going to be painful initially”.
editor@aplain.co.ke
