In Kenya, media consumption changes dynamically each year. For a brand looking to increase brand awareness and visibility, leveraging diverse media platforms can easily put the brand in front of the right people. In this article, we help you understand Kenya’s media landscape through statistics. We’ll break down how companies and brands can secure media coverage in Kenya, the differences between editorial and paid placements, and why working with a professional PR agency can make all the difference.

Media Consumption Trends in Kenya

According to “State of the Media Survey Report” published in May, 2025 by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), TV is currently, the most consumed media platform in Kenya. 26% of respondents surveyed country wide said they had watched TV in the past week. Social media came second at 24%, followed by Radio (23%). Online news websites (6%), Newspapers (5%), Bloggers (4%) and Magazines (1%) are also make part of popular media in Kenya. 11% of respondents get information from family, friends and colleagues.

When it comes to news content, which is the most popular type of content among Kenyan audiences, Social Media recently surpassed Mainstream Media with 37% of audiences getting their news from social media primarily. TV (31%) and Radio (27%) follow closely according to the same report. Online websites and newspapers are also important sources of news for Kenyan audiences.

Kenyan Media Size and Landscape

Kenya has a relatively small media industry. The industry can be divided into three segments: Mainstream mass media channels, mainstream niche outlets and digital channels.

There are about 6 TV channels targeting mass audiences, with one of them controlling about 53% of the market share as of 2025. However, there are smaller native language channels targeting specific ethnic communities. These have a limited reach except 6 channels with significant reach.

In Radio, four of the largest mass radio stations with nation wide reach control more than 80% of the market share with niche stations like Classic FM and Native Language Stations commanding a respectable audience size.

The newspaper sector has a variety of players with The Daily Natipn and Standard commanding the larger market share at 34% and 21% respectively (as of 2025) with nationwide circulation. Other niches and mass newspapers; like Business Daily, The Star, Taifa Leo and The East African also enjoy good readership.

Digital Media in Kenya

The Digital Media Landscape in Kenya is growing very fast although extremely fragmented. The bulk of Kenyan audiences consume content on WhatsApp (20%), Facebook (20%), Tik Tok (14%) and Youtube (12%). Although Whatsapp and Facebook have dominated digital media consumption in Kenya, Tik Tok has proven to be a fast rising platform, gaining mileage over X (8%), Instagram (8%) and Youtube (12%).

Podcasts which have gained popularity over the last two years are still struggling to reach more Kenyans with only 1% of Kenyan audiences listening to them.

News websites owned by mainstream media companies and digital first platforms enjoy a wide reach, on both social media and Google. Tuko controls 40% of the market share according to the above mentioned report, but audiences are spread across other news websites like Citizen Digital (20%), Nation. Africa (13%), Standard Media (11%), Pulse Live (5%) and Kenyans Online (4%).

Why Media Coverage Matters for Brands in Kenya

Getting your brand featured in Kenyan media whether on is an effective way to build credibility and visibility. While many brands focus on building their own digital media platforms, leveraging other people’s channels can put you in front of the right people. Besides, content produced and distributed by professional media practitioners is likey to achieve a wider reach.

Media coverage provides:

• Credibility: Editorial features are perceived as more trustworthy than advertisements.
• Visibility: Kenya’s media landscape reaches millions daily across print, broadcast, and digital platforms.
• Influence: Media outlets are highly influential and coverage positions your brand as an authority in your industry

What Type of Content is Likely to Get Featured (Statistics)

In our #100Kenyanbrands report launched in July, 2024, 97% of the brands we analyzed had attracted some sort of media coverage. This shows media relations is a top priority for leading brands in Kenya. There are however certain industries and types of stories receiving more coverage than others in Kenyan media. Here are the key highlights:

• Digital news websites were more likely to pick and publish a story, followed by Print media then TV
• Only 4% of the brands received extremely high media coverage meaning they were featured or mentioned several times each month. These were mostly government/parastal agencies.
• 38% of the brands received medium coverage, meaning they had mentions several times a year.
• Crisis stories were the most covered types of stories.
• Founder or CEO features and business news stories received a lot of coverage too.
• Although government agencies attracted the most media attention. Finance, Healthcare, Telecommunication, Energy and Retail industries were featured frequently.

Pitching Stories to Kenyan Media

Journalists and editors receive countless emails daily. Many of these emails are spammy due to unethical sourcing of journalists’ contacts. As a result, most poorly pitched stories are ignored or trashed. There are several ways to pitch your story to a journalist, an editor or digital media platform:

• Direct email pitch: Sending a direct email to specific journalists can be effective if the story is really good. Direct emails are often shared after researching the journalists’ work to ensure the story aligns with what they cover.
• Distributing a Press release: Press releases are commonly used to target multilple journalists and media houses at once. They are great for news stories.
• Hosting a press conference: Press conferences are great when targeting coverage across media houses. They are perfect for high value news stories of national importance. Press conferences are however high risk; if journalists do not find the topic of discussion interesting enough, they will not show up.
• Hosting an event: Corporate events are a great way to connect with journalists, pitch stories and learn more about their work. Even when events do not lead to immediate coverage, they can attract mentions and engagements further down the line.
• Working with a PR firm: Many leading brands in Kenya consult with PR agencies on matters media relations. A PR consultant will know the right stories to pitch, and when to share a press release vis a vis hosting an event. Furthermore, they also leverage existing relationships with journalists to get stories out there.

Related:

Choosing the Best PR Agency in Kenya for your Business

What Makes a Story Newsworthy in Kenyan Media?

Stories are not equal, some are more interesting to audiences than others. Media houses are businesses too and they are careful not to lose audiences. Hence they pick stories to pursue carefully. So what really makes a story interesting enough for a journalist or an editor?

• Relevance: The story has to be relevant for their audiences and in line with what they normally publish or air. If you are pitching to a business column or show, the story needs a strong business angle.
• Timely: News stories are perishable goods, and feature stories leverage on the art of timing. An example of a good but untimely story is a “deeply personal story on how the pandemic affected your business and how you pivoted”.
• Catchy: There are countless stories in the world. Your story needs a unique angle to stand out to the media.
• Fresh: Media houses risk losing their audiences if they repeat stories that have been aired by others multiple times. Your story needs to be fresh enough to keep audiences interested.
• People-centred: How does your story affect people or why should the audiences care? Is the story about people? People-centred stories attract more attention than stories about things.

Paid vs. Editorial Media in Kenya

Brands have two main routes to getting featured:

1. Editorial Coverage (Earned Media)

Editorial coverage is audience-focused and in many cases brands have little control over the content. These types of stories are however high impact and likely to build trust and long-term credibility with the audience. Brands can still leverage editorial stories by mastering media interview skills. Answering questions cleverly without sounding too “salesy” can lead to an audience gripping story. Here are important facts about editorial stories:

• Free placement, but not guaranteed.
• Comes from pitching stories, press releases, or being quoted as an expert source.
• A brand’s crisis is likely to attract a lot of free editorial coverage
• Great for creating brand awareness and building a favourable image
• Builds long-term credibility.

2. Paid/Sponsored Content

• Includes advertorials, sponsored features, branded content, and native ads.
• Guaranteed placement and often more control over messaging.
• Requires budget allocation but ensures visibility.

How Often Should You Seek Media Coverage

Is there such a thing as “too many media appearances?”. The answer to this question is subjective and can only be answered contextually. Frequent visibility is important in ensuring audiences do not forget you. However, there is something called “audience fatigue”. When audiences see the same advert or the same story over and over again, they disengage. Here are simple tips to prevent audience fatigue in media relations:

• Avoid pitching or telling the same story to different media houses too many times.
• Find sustainable ways to attract earned media that does not involve repeating stories or insights
• Be clear with your media relations goals.
• Leverage the experts in your organization to increase mentions without having the same person featured too many times
• Target different types of media platforms to spread visibility.
• Time your media tours to achieve maximum impact over a short period.

Partnering with a PR Agency

While it’s possible to DIY your media outreach, an experienced PR agency brings:

• Media networks: Relationships with journalists, editors, and producers.
• Strategy: Knowing what stories will have the most positive outcome for your brand
• Knowledge: Knowing when and what to pitch based on newsworthiness
• Consistency: Ensuring you stay visible consistently without risking audience fatigue
• Training: Helping you and other experts maximize media appearances through training

Final Takeaway

Getting featured in Kenyan media is about pitching the right story to the right people. Whether through editorial coverage, paid features, or digital media, the right approach ensures your brand stands out in a competitive market.

If your company is ready to amplify its story and secure consistent media coverage in Kenya, our PR agency can help you craft a tailored strategy. Reach out today. Start with a clarity call.

FAQ: Pitching your company’s story to Kenyan Media