Digital newspaper contents readership in rural Kenya: Myth or reality?

Abstract

The surging purchase of smartphones coupled with the expanding internet connectivity in rural Kenya has opened on to the increased use of social media platforms. This has made media houses venture into the production of both print and digital versions of newspaper production. However, little was still known about the consumption of digital newspaper content by the rural audience. It is against this backdrop that this study was conducted. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the extent to which Kenya’s rural population access and read contents of digital versions of mainstream newspapers-the Standard and the Nation. The study site was Nyatike Sub-County of Migori County, which is one of the rural sub-counties in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were: to assess the extent to which residents of Nyatike Sub County accessed online newspapers and to investigate the level at which residents of Nyatike Sub County read the contents of the online newspaper versions. The study adopted a descriptive research design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect and analyze data. It was found that internet connectivity was widening in rural Kenya. However, the majority of those who access the internet still do not use it to access contents of the digital versions of the mainstream newspapers-Standard and Nation. The study therefore recommended the need for cheaper internet services in rural Kenya, subsidized prices of digital newspapers, and sensitizing people in rural Kenya on the existence of online newspapers and how they can be accessed. This study, therefore, contributes to the realisation of the Kenya Vision 2030’s social, economic, and political pillars; the African Union Agenda 2063 of communication and infrastructure connectivity, and the realisation of some of the Sustainable Development Goals such as Goal Seventeen on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastrcure.