Strathmore, Safaricom launch 2nd edition of Journalism Fellowship Programme

Strathmore Business School has today launched the second edition of the Safaricom Business Journalism Fellowship, an eight month, mid-career program that gives business journalists the opportunity to train alongside Kenya’s leading business lecturers and some of the top corporate newsmakers in the region.

Speaking during the launch, Strathmore University Dean and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research, Dr. George Njenga, said: “Last year, 12 fellows graduated and the depth in their stories since they undertook the programme is clear for all to see. I have enjoyed stories that have the potential to change some counties’ fortunes due to the quality of reporting on their mining potential, and I am happy to point out that this is a topic that was covered extensively in the programme.”

The highly competitive course will admit 15 of the most promising applicants. The successful applicants will be taken through three modules, with each module requiring four days of intensive training with some of the most respected minds in the business world.

The experiential learning and mentoring programme will also include half-day workshops spread over eight months as well as exclusive guest speaker dinner events where the journalists will enjoy opportunities to learn from and network with mentors and business leaders.

Speaking during the launch Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore highlighted the changes in the media landscape occasioned by the impact of social media, and challenged the media to re-learn their audiences so as to deliver impactful news stories.

“It’s time for business journalists to challenge the notion that Kenyan audiences are more interested in politics than they are in the development of the economy and how it affects them. The just ended Global Entrepreneurship Summit is proof that audiences are interested in business news,” he said. “But to do this successfully journalists must be armed with an understanding of the business environment and how to cover business news.”

The fellowship programme focusses on financial reporting, and will this year cover topics including: economic analysis, business strategy and financial analysis, big data and cyber security.

“The improvement in the quality of reporting exhibited by the first group of journalists to graduate from this programme is a clear indication of its success, and a sign that we are meeting our objective to equip talented, promising journalists with the analytical skills needed for the business desk,” added Mr. Collymore.

During the eight month duration of the programme the journalists will be expected to finish a 30-hour credit course before they can graduate.