BARAYAN: Regional newspapers can bring prosperity in counties

My earliest recollection of consciously starting to read newspapers was when I was 13. Though my father bought newspapers daily, I only got to read two or three days old nenewspapersfter they finally returned home when neighbours or my father’s friends were through with them.

I always found newspapers to have a wealth of information. Joseph Pulitzer was a Hungarian-American media mogul who revolutionised journalism by focusing on investigative reporting, sensational headlines, and bold editorials hitherto unknown.

In his will, he set out an endowment in Columbia University for the Pulitzer Prizes in 1917, which to date remain the most prestigious and sought-after journalism prize in the American media space.

It therefore came as a surprise to many in 2017 when a family-owned newspaper in Iowa, USA, called the Storm Lake Times, with only 3,000 copies per issue, won the prize for editorial writing, pitted against 1,100 other competitors, including the Wall Street Journal with a circulation of 2.1 million per issue.

Newspapers have an advantage over other alternative platforms like radio, television, and social media because they provide not only factual reporting but also context and analysis, giving a better understanding of the subject matter.

The brevity of the other sources often doesn’t accord their audience this. The structured editorial process of a newspaper also gives its content more credibility, especially where the subject is complex as often is in governance and trade matters.

It brings the trust level to more than 80 per cent for established newspapers while also remaining a permanent accessible record, unlike the transient nature of both radio and the rapid content turnover of social media.

The potential and value of intra-county newspapers are immense, especially in consideration of the following three aspects:  The first is in enhancing accountability and transparency in governance by providing the watchdog role on corruption.

A second aspect is that newspapers can help boost intra-county trade by providing information on markets and logistics that gives entrepreneurs’ capacity for evidence-based business decisions.

Where there is consistent reporting on county economic conditions, intra-county trade has been recorded to increase by about 25 per cent.

Civic education is a vital pillar in ensuring good governance. The third aspect involves citizens’ education on electoral processes, devolution, and impact of county policies on livelihoods.

A study carried out by IEBC reveals that where there was greater circulation of newspapers, there was a 15 per cent greater voter turnout, while a 40 per cent greater awareness of county budgets and awareness was recorded where there was an active local publication.

Despite the undeniable advantage of a county print newspaper, there remains about five regular daily newspapers and two weeklies for national readership.

The main reason given against print media is that it is not commercially viable Storm Lake, Iowa, in 2017 had a population of about 10,000, of whom 1,500 households were earning the equivalent of Sh500,000 per month. 

The Storm Lake Times newspaper was made viable by 3,000 subscriptions, which is equivalent to Sh30 per issue, advertising and newsstand sales prior to their Pulitzer win.

Mombasa county is estimated to have about the same number of households earning a similar amount, yet the establishment of a regular newspaper unfortunately still seems farfetched.

A perusal of content that drives sales may give insights as to why newspapers are yet to be used effectively as a tool for promoting prosperity.

Political news, analyses, and scandals cater for 35 per cent of readers’ interest, with investigative stories and breaking news attracting 25 per cent popularity.

Sports news and entertainment account for 15 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. Business and Economic news only attracts seven per cent of the readership, yet business success needs real-time information, identifi cation of threats and opportunities and long-term strategies that such a newspaper would inform on.

Even as I continue to read the two or three pages dedicated to the news of 47 counties in each daily, I wonder whether it is time for the counties to collaborate with media houses to issue regular business newspapers, which promote good governance and economic growth?