Influence of Online Journalism on News Reach in Kenya

Abstract

Online journalism is a type of journalism practised through digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, Google, websites and blogs. It has transformed traditional journalism by enabling media practitioners to propagate news in real time to their audiences. However, online journalism and news access has not received enough research. This study sought to investigate the extent to which digital journalism platforms influence news access in Kenyan universities. The study employed descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 63,817. Random sampling was used to sample 381 respondents from the sampled four universities. Data was collected using a questionnaire. The data gathered was analyzed using descriptive statistics using statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 17.0. Frequencies and percentages were used for analysis. The study established that digital journalism platforms are to a larger extent is accessible to internet users for news purposes. The study recommends that media practitioners should conceptualize their audiences and adopt digital journalism platforms that are accessible and interest them. Media houses and the government to develop internet infrastructure, formulate ethical framework and policies to guide online journalism practice in Kenya. The study also recommended the review in online journalism curriculum in learning institutions to make it more current in line with online journalism digital developments.

Key words: Digital Journalism, Influence, Hyperlink, Online Audience