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I got this bit of information about the proposed KissFM daily newspaper and I decided to share it with you guys. Apparently the newspaper will concentrate on Nairobi news and Nairobians. Personally I think that that is very smart and is something Nation guys should worry about.
When you think about it, there is so much that is happening in Nairobi which even Kumekucha cannot fully cover and a newspaper that concentrates on Nairobi only has a decent chance of being a huge success.
I understand that the newspaper is due to hit the streets around July 2nd. Expect more reviews and analysis here when it is published.
Other Stories In This Blog About The Nairobi Star
Why Nation Should Be Worried
The Nairobi Star: What Most People Don't Know About Circulation And Advertising
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Finally you have released the newspaper we have been waiting for!!!! I believe you also managed to get those of us who didnt know about it,those who may have a tight schedule with probably hardly any time to hear all the news, get to know about it through the promotions and adverts you have been doing on the main highways of Nairobi, and to even aspire to have it soonest. Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteI think it is a bright way of reaching many more Kenyans. Hongera tena!!!
I dont know how you intend to influence Kenyans, or to help them, because i think if you get to help them,for example to be better citizens, or to culture them in many different interesting and formative things you will be doing lots of good, and i believe you can do this!
Today morning I got to see the first copy of this paper and I was abit disappointed by the headline and i think it might have caused many to form a bad opinion of this paper.
I have not read it yet because, unfortunately this discouraged me from buying it. May be i will get better things when i have courage to read it... ok i am a catholic, am not so pious, but am trying to be better, and when i see such things on the paper like "I helped nuns do abortion" as a headline... I really dont know the truth about it, but i highly doubt the truth in it.
In my part when i see religious people, i have been taught to respect them, and to pray for them that they may be very faithful to what God has called them to, first because they are human beings with human inclinations- they are not angels-but susceptible to what any other human being can do. And on the other hand, we are a society and what we are is influenced by the society, by our neighbours... so could it be because we are not doing our part- helping them be what they are supposed to be- good nuns of Jesus Christ, by first praying for them?? Secondly i also think the doctor telling the story is also responsible because if he knows abortion is wrong,and i think that is why he is telling the story, he should not do it on any one, instead he should be helping his clients see that it is wrong and that way he will be helping the society, and i think it would have been better if the headline was- "I HAD TO CONVINCE SOME NUNS NOT TO ABORT"- dont you think this would have done better to Kenyans?- because abortion is objectively wrong and nothing makes it right- even if the person carrying it out or advocating it is the most respected in the world.
However i dont quite get the reason why you want to tell us such "gossips", because i think the most it will help us in is to make us loose our faith, and i believe you dont intend to kill christianity in this country through your paper, or at least i dont think it is what you should be doing..
Finally i really hope you consider my view, and that you are able to put some nice stories that can help Kenyans, on this your new people. That way i think you will catch more people and help them as well.
Thank you in advance
I hope with the release of this newspaper will come a much needed update on the Kiss website and a website for international Kenyans to log on to.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that.....keep us updated on this paper.
I'm in Nakuru-Egerton Unie spefically-wondering how this much anticipated paper looks like with all these vibes around it.Can a good samaritan please bring at least 5 copies to these sides so we can join the vibe or should we wait for holidays to see it?Otherwise i cant discuss a blonde i've never seen.....ma comments later...!
ReplyDeleteNairobi star is a crappy ass paper...the hype these people created was just for show... how does a headline like "I HELPED NUN ABORT, SAYS ASST. MINISTER" hit you... to me thats on cheap ass headline! something i'd get from those 10 bob gutter press papers. i patiently waited for it and this is what they chuck? i even hear that the paper is printed by their competitor nation! there was a story about a zonkey or is it a zorse...i had read about that a day or two back in another paper.... if they wann survive they should step their game up. frankly speaking its like reading Standard's Pulse magazine every day.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI am journalist having worked in Kenya, SA, UK, US and Russia in both electronic and print media as reporter, editor and news manager.
I am back in Kenya for my sabbatical before starting my new job in afew months time.
I want to give my two cents worth of very objective opinion - and a bit of gossip from the media industry.
The effort by the Nairobi Star is admirable. For a long time NMG (Nation) has dominated the market for a long time. Quarcoo deserves a pat on the back.
Unfortunatley, NMG is printing for him and he would better start planning to invest in his own printer otherwise i wont be surprised if the paper is late or parts of it are missing.
Word has it that NMG will soon be launching a free paper - almost like waht PQ is doing. Already NMG is looking for staff who will run it. NMG has the money to bank roll the project but I am wondering why NMG has to be so greedy.
I encourage media growth. It is very good for a country. Journalists in Kenya can now have alternatives. Previously the big boys (Nation and Standard) were the only places a 'respected journalist' in town could work.
Back to the lastest Star in Nairobi. The grape vine has it that the paper sold 24,000 copies on the first day and 16,000 copies on the second day. I am yet to get the figures from my sources.
Word on the street has it that readers are very disappointed by the content. No doubt the Kiss team are very good noise makers, the publicity saw the record sales of the paper in the first day. But what happened??
One, the paper lacks solid content. For a prcey price of KSh 35 i want value for my money. The design is fantastic but the content? Well.. it leaves a lot to be desired.
I was expecting to read informative stories about people not silly stories that i can read in a high school newspaper. This is what i mean, AlJazeera has a programme called the Witness. It is very well done. I watched one about the Sangomas in SA and i was impressed. The reporter actually witnessed the Sangomas treating clients. The reporter also interviewed the people who visit the Sangomas. That is what i expected the Nairobi Star to be. Tell stories about real people.
Two, they are recycling the same 'news makers' Esther Passaris, Ida Odinga et all. Nbi is full of heros who are making a difference and have got juicy stories that have never been told.
Hats off to Eve Girl, a publication of Oakland Media. They went against the norm and featured none 'celeb' girls. BTW, is Oakland still alive??
Three, people in Nbi read. The story about the nuns and assistant minister was in the Nation on Saturday. Sorry to say but the cover story lacked depth and interest. It was just an exergeration of a statement. I can bet my pension that people dint buy the paper because of the headline but out of curiousity to read what the new paper contained.
If i was the Managing Editor, I would have sent a reporter to Joburg to interview Jeff Koinange and get his side of the story. I would have had fresh photos of him and his expectant wife. The once the media recycles were taken in 2005 during the CNN awards in Nbi. That i believe would have made an excellent read.
Talking of pictures, Caroline Mutoko should have professionally phots taken. The photo of her in an orange hooded top is disgusting. I have seen it severally in the Standard, Eve Girl and other publications. I am sure Caroline can afford to pay Duncan Willets or Cox.
So as not to sound too critical, i suggest PQ and team should seriously think about the content otherwise they will run into an identity crisis like what happened to Easy FM and Hot 96. He might be forced to relaunch the paper after a year or so.
The stories should be a little bit investigative. If i am not wrong, the target audience is the urban Nairobi dweller, university graduate and ofcourse having an income - employed or self employed.
These audience needs more than gossip - the internet is doing very well in spreading gossip around town.
Alternatively, the Nbi Star would have been an evening paper. It is about time we have one.
AWAY FROM THE STAR, the weddings guru Dr. Catherine Masitsa has launched a business magazine called Business Woman. The magazine is targeting the women in business. Most women do business in one way or another. That is a brilliant project - although not original. Check the Enterprenuer magazine.
The content is very useful but the design is awful. It looks like a photo album with photos of made up women pausing and smiling.
Catherine certainly invested in photography but the designer would have done better. How about checking the Fortune, Forbes or Newsweek?? Very good art.
Catherine's new baby comes after she lost Smart News. The publishers Nakumatt were apparently not happy with her and they canceled the project. After the lose she unleashed the business publication and another extension of Samantha - Elegant Brides. The queen of weddings is not going down. For her its two steps forward dispite a lose.
GOOD things are cooking at East Africa Magazines. They are launching two new products in the next two months. Men will now have reason to buy magazines. Details will be out soon - but watch the space.
After the exit of Wayua Muli from Oakland, all eyes are on the next step of Eve Magazine. Mundia Muchiri insists Wayua's departure is not a crisis. Something is certainly cooking at Kenya's number one magazine publishing house. PLEASE do not go under OAKLAND.
Talkng of departures, the MSK has recalled Sokoni. Word has it that Sokoni is being published from Fedha Towers - the MSK HQ. The GM -Francis Wachira is now running the show and he is bulling Oakland and threatening to sue them.
Oakland might not be angles but they did a good job with the product. Ask PQ, he poached 2 head designers from Oakland. The Eve and Eve Girl designers are now in PQs pay roll.
All eyes are now on Sokoni. Wachira has hired a new editor Richard Mukatha who will be filling in the shoes of Carole Kimutai.
The Oakland Sokoni magazine was very interesting - content and design were high class. I especially loved the issue on building brands. The cover is very catchy with a montage of the human brain - Excellent!!
Let us see what Richard Mukatha will deliver. Does anyone know his background apart from Rugby??
FYI, Wachira, Chris Amimo and William Kalombo the people behind Marketers night and Marketing Africa magazine. The trio used to publish Sokoni in 2003/4 until it was given to Oakland by MSK. I wonder if Wachira is still a share holder in Roll out. He must be very happy that Sokoni has finally returned to him.
For more media dossier keep reading kumekucha blogspot.
Later!
I am Impressed by the graphics and the camera works on this newly launched newpaper - The Nairobi Star.. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteI am particularly impressed by Last Fridays photo featuring Tom Cholmondeley in pensive mood in page 5 - Very creative there! The layout too makes it so readable. and did I mention that am amazed that this is the only full-color newspaper in circulation? I mean... all the pages!
CIRCULATION: I must say am impressed! I live and work in Thika and I can easily get the newspaper on the stands next to my office! How swift!
Peter
HI GUYZ LEMMIE JUZ SAY THAT THE NEWSPAPER IS AT THE AVERAGE.WHAT DISSAPOINTS ME IS WHY YOU SHOULD BE TAKING IT FROM THE NMG JUZ STAND UP FOR URSELF COZ I LOVE THE PAPER COZ INADUNGA MSEE REAL BILA KUFICHA.KEEP UP GUYZ
ReplyDeletetourist 2007 july! i read the nairo star as a tourist buying it with hope of local stories about the local people and hoping nairo wud b featured.. but most of the stories i saw were ones i have eitehr read on the internet already or have been published in other countries as international stories!! for wat the paper has been advertised as and hence the name nairobi star! it was a disapointing read! and my 35 shilings cud have easily gone to a street kid who cud av bought a cup of tea! all hopes of improvements!!!!! frm UK!!
ReplyDeleteI think Nairobians get tired very fast.All the craze about New Magazines and Newspapers is all gone.Somebody should ask Eunice Mathu and Lucy Kiritu of Parents Magazine the secret of remaining leading and relevant all the time.Those stories man!they move me.
ReplyDeleteHey..talking about media, there is this new company calling themselves Door Drop Limited.They were doing product sampling of Hair -Glo in my Estate(South C) recently and i thought thats a very good idea that engages all the senses of the customer, i.e touch, see, smell, read etc.Any one knows more about them?
ReplyDeleteI was looking for the Naiorbi star website via google when i saw this blogg topic. Its been many days since the launch and it seems Nairobi Star is still going strong. I can say it's now an upmarket tabloid and Daily Metro which Nation Media Group lauched as a spoiler is now the cheap tabloid. Maybe Kenyans just needed to get used to the tabloidism idea coz people buy Metro.
ReplyDelete