This archive report was first published on 3 July 2020.
As the media industry continues to grapple with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Standard Group CEO Orlando Lyomu has called for professionalism during layoffs, emphasizing the need for media houses to work together to minimize costs and support the industry.
Speaking to Spice FM on Friday, Lyomu noted that the media industry had been on a slippery slope even before the pandemic, citing a drop in revenue and digital disruptions as major factors.
“The media industry has been on a slippery slope even before the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of digital disruptions,” he said.
Lyomu acknowledged that recent layoffs were tough decisions made by media house managers to save more people, but emphasized the need for professionalism in handling the process.
“As managers, we have to make a decision to save more people because the ship is going down, but we should be professional and explain ourselves to those affected why it is them and not the other guy,” he said.
He urged the government to support the industry, highlighting the importance of the media in the economy and the need for a unified approach to address the challenges facing the sector.
Kenya Editors Guild Chairman Churchill Otieno also weighed in on the issue, calling for media houses to be transparent during the retrenchment period.
“The current situation where someone has been on TV for two or three years and all of a sudden you don’t see him without being told what happened to them is unfair,” he said.
With massive job losses reported across media houses since March, Lyomu urged media owners to come together to eliminate waste and cut costs, citing the printing and distribution of newspapers as an area where costs could be minimized.
Radio Africa group chairman Kiprono Kitony also emphasized the need for a unified approach to address the challenges facing the media industry, calling for a new approach to cut costs and promote growth.
Published on July 3, 2020
