Top 10 Side-Hustles Kenyan Journalists Ventured Into During Covid-19

The data paints a bleak picture of a dire situation that many Kenyan journalists found themselves in. Many, however, were able to weather the storm by taking up side hustles.

40% of respondents noted that they started taking on side gigs as a way of coping, the most common measure taken, while 7% started a business. 19% cited getting support from family and friends, 12% began applying for other jobs and opportunities, 11% took loans and 7% were employed by other media houses while 4% of respondents stated that they did nothing.

The top side-hustles that journalists who faced salary reductions and retrenchment ventured into include:

• Writing articles for sale

• Small businesses e.g. Cereal shop, selling perfumes and selling items on social media

• Selling stories to competitors

• Venturing into farming e.g. vegetable farming

• Poultry rearing

• Online (article & academic) writing

• Content sharing and marketing website

• Freelancing as online marketer

• Opening a YouTube channel

• Starting a small company e.g. PR Agency, Marketing & Content Development Company

The Central region had the highest percentage of respondents who took up side gigs, at 38%, followed by Nairobi at 35% and Rift Valley at 30%.

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Notably, media houses adapted to the pandemic in various ways, focusing on virtual meetings and digital reporting. Journalists, however, still faced challenges even in the work-from-home era including high data costs, out of date equipment and challenges in accessing crucial information.

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