Traditional Media Gradually Losing Market Share as Social Media Takes Precedence

According to the latest Media Council of Kenya report on the State of Media in Kenya, 58 percent of Kenyans consumed Tv Content in 2021 as compared to 74 percent in the previous year 2020.

The social media platform has grown by 14 percent while TV and radio have decreased by 12 percent and 5 percent respectively since the last report two years ago.

The most-watched content by 80 percent of Kenyans on the different TV Channels includes news, entertainment, religious, and sports content.

Radio Content Consumption

Across the country, 74 percent of Kenyans consume radio content, translating to approximately 21,459, 073 Kenyans

As compared to 4 percent who accessed radio content via digital Apps and online platforms, the research revealed that 83 percent of Kenyans accessed the content via FM radio receiver services and mobile phones. Only 13 percent got the content via set-top boxes.

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Even though radio listeners have continuously decreased, the medium is still powerful commanding 72 percent locally while delivering 28 percent foreign content.

Print Content Consumption

According to the report, only 24 percent of Kenyans consumed print media content in 2021 translating to approximately 7,222, 810 people.

Moreover, only 46 percent of the respondents purchase hardcopy newspapers while 27 percent access them via online subscriptions.

About 12 percent of Kenyans say they consume online content. This number translates to about 5 million Kenyans.

Internet usage

Data from the report shows that 35 percent of Kenyans trust TV as the main source of news, 31 percent cited radio, 24 percent social media, and 3 percent cited online news websites.

For most Kenyans, about 64 percent, the main use of social media is for entertainment purposes, news and networking follow closely at 59 percent and 53 percent respectively.

WhatsApp, Facebook, and Youtube are the most used social media platforms at 27, 26, and 16 percent respectively.