This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
NTV's acclaimed reality TV show Top Story is back for its third season, set to air in December. The show features 75 top journalism students from 25 universities across the country in a thrilling storytelling competition.
Conceptualized by veteran journalist Joseph Warungu, Top Story aims to equip journalism students with practical experience in the field, a journey that began in 1985 when Warungu was a volunteer for Voice of Kenya (now Kenya Broadcasting Corporation).
Warungu expressed the need to equip journalism students with practical experience in the field, saying, “Back in the day, there was nothing like mentorship. You learnt on the job. We felt that we could save the students this hassle by giving them these skills,” he tells the Nation.
Top Story is produced for NTV by AfricaOnAir with support from the European Journalism Centre and is broadcast every Monday at 7.30pm. The show involves prominent journalists in the field, who offer trainings and mentorship. Previous seasons featured Dennis Okari, John-Allan Namu, Joe Ageyo, and Janet Mbugua, who came in as judges and trainers.
The competition takes place over 26 weeks, with contestants working in teams to produce a story within a 14-hour time frame. The stories are developed within a 14-hour time frame, during which contestants must familiarise themselves with the assignment, find and interview sources, and file a digital story for assessment by a panel of judges.
Prizes at stake include trips that offer choice interactions with great personalities and established global media houses. Winners of Season One had the opportunity to meet and chat with President Paul Kagame, while Season Two winners flew to the United Kingdom and spent a week touring London, visiting the headquarters of the BBC and Al-Jazeera offices during their stay.
The exposure provided by the show is evident in the job opportunities offered to participants, especially finalists. Alumni of the show have gone on to secure top jobs, with some becoming innovators in the industry.
Top Story has garnered international attention since its inception, bringing home the silver Global Youth and News Media Prize in November 2019. The award was received by Innocent Tsalwa, a Season 2 finalist from Kisii University, and Millicent Njeri from Multimedia University, on behalf of Top Story.
