The Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Newsrooms in Kenya: a Multi-case Study

The deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in newsrooms is gaining prominence worldwide, with the technology being used to enhance the processes of news gathering, packaging, and distribution. The study was guided by two research questions: what factors drive/hinder(s) the adoption of AI or lack of it in newsrooms in Kenya? Moreover, what opportunities do journalists feel are offered by adopting AI in newsrooms in Kenya? A qualitative research approach and descriptive research design were employed to investigate the adoption of AI in newsrooms in Kenya. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC-Africa) and Radio Africa Group (RAG) media organizations were the target population. As a research strategy, a multi-case method was employed. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with newsroom-based participants. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants for the research. Collected data were analyzed thematically. The paper identified six factors driving the adoption of AI or lack of it: management buy-in, cost, technical skills, clarity of user case, perception, and company structure. Further, the study identified three challenges presented by adopting AI: lack of quality data, ethical concerns, and unpredictability of the technology’s impact. The study concludes that AI offers excellent opportunities for newsrooms in Kenya to explore. Still, some obstacles need to be addressed before they can benefit fully from the technology. The study projects that human and automated journalism will become closely integrated in the future and recommends that newsrooms in Kenya prepare to embrace AI by laying the foundation for its adoption. Media schools should update curricula to prepare journalists to work with emerging technologies such as AI. Further research is needed to identify the specific skill sets required for Kenyan digital journalists to embrace AI fully. Scholars should investigate how AI can shape new business models given shrinking revenues in the media

Online Audiences and Gatekeeping: User Comments and Their Infuence on Editorial Processes in Newsrooms in Kenya

In Kenyan newsrooms, there has been a debate about whether to keep the comment section on news websites in the aftermath of Social Media Networks, which allow the media to still collect user opinion without the risk of unregulated third-party comments. This paper sought to establish the nature and influence user comments have on editorial processes as well as explain what value media houses that have retained the comment section are receiving. To investigate this, the researchers adopted mixed methods research approach (quantitative and qualitative) and concurrent mixed methods research designs. The targeted population was journalists working in media houses that operate in print, broadcast, and digital news website in Nairobi County. The targeted media houses were: Nation Media Group (NMG), Standard Group (SG), and Radio Africa Group (RAG). Sample size comprised of 252 participants for quantitative data, 9 key informants for in-depth interviews, and 84 articles for direct content analysis. Survey and directed content analysis were used as strategies of inquiry. These strategies were aided by questionnaires, in – depth interviews, and code sheet as data generation tools.   Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM/SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative data. Quantitative data was presented using tables and pie-charts. Qualitative data was thematically analysed and presented in form of themes. The findings show that, contrary to popular belief, discussions in news website comment sections are frequently marred by incivility. Instead, the majority of the comments were deliberative in nature, with audience members just looking for a forum to express themselves in a civil manner. However, in cases where there were reported incidences of incivility, the sources quoted were the main trigger. Journalists have been shown to use user input in the comment section to gauge the quality of the content they produce, while media companies use audience knowledge to make strategic decisions. The results shed light on how newsrooms may give the public a platform to discuss and give their input on the news and still maintain deliberative debates

Online Audiences and Gatekeeping: User Comments and Their Infuence on Editorial Processes in Newsrooms in Kenya

In Kenyan newsrooms, there has been a debate about whether to keep the comment section on news websites in the aftermath of Social Media Networks, which allow the media to still collect user opinion without the risk of unregulated third-party comments. This paper sought to establish the nature and influence user comments have on editorial processes as well as explain what value media houses that have retained the comment section are receiving. To investigate this, the researchers adopted mixed methods research approach (quantitative and qualitative) and concurrent mixed methods research designs. The targeted population was journalists working in media houses that operate in print, broadcast, and digital news website in Nairobi County. The targeted media houses were: Nation Media Group (NMG), Standard Group (SG), and Radio Africa Group (RAG). Sample size comprised of 252 participants for quantitative data, 9 key informants for in-depth interviews, and 84 articles for direct content analysis. Survey and directed content analysis were used as strategies of inquiry. These strategies were aided by questionnaires, in – depth interviews, and code sheet as data generation tools.   Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM/SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative data. Quantitative data was presented using tables and pie-charts. Qualitative data was thematically analysed and presented in form of themes. The findings show that, contrary to popular belief, discussions in news website comment sections are frequently marred by incivility. Instead, the majority of the comments were deliberative in nature, with audience members just looking for a forum to express themselves in a civil manner. However, in cases where there were reported incidences of incivility, the sources quoted were the main trigger. Journalists have been shown to use user input in the comment section to gauge the quality of the content they produce, while media companies use audience knowledge to make strategic decisions. The results shed light on how newsrooms may give the public a platform to discuss and give their input on the news and still maintain deliberative debates

Online Audiences and Gatekeeping: User Comments and Their Influence on Editorial Processes in Newsrooms in Kenya

In Kenyan newsrooms, there has been a debate about keeping the comment section on news websites in the aftermath of Social Media Networks. This allows the media to still collect user opinions without the risk of unregulated third-party comments. This paper sought to establish the nature and influence user comments have on editorial processes and explain what value media houses that have retained the comment section are receiving. To investigate this, the researchers adopted mixed methods research approach (quantitative and qualitative) and concurrent mixed methods research designs. The targeted population was journalists working in media houses that operate in print, broadcast, and digital news websites in Nairobi County. The targeted media houses were: Nation Media Group (NMG), Standard Group (SG), and Radio Africa Group (RAG). The sample size comprised 252 participants for quantitative data, nine key informants for in-depth interviews, and 84 articles for direct content analysis. Surveys and directed content analysis were used as strategies of inquiry. These strategies were aided by questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and code sheets as data generation tools.   Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM/SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative data. Quantitative data was presented using tables and pie charts. Qualitative data was thematically analysed and presented in the form of themes. Contrary to popular belief, the findings show that discussions in news website comment sections are frequently marred by incivility. Instead, most of the comments were deliberative, with audience members just looking for a forum to express themselves civilly. However, in cases with reported incidences of incivility, the sources quoted were the main trigger. Journalists have been shown to use user input in the comment section to gauge the quality of their content, while media companies use audience knowledge to make strategic decisions. The results shed light on how newsrooms may give the public a platform to discuss and give their input on the news while maintaining deliberative debates