Journalists’ Frequent Movement from One Media House to Another Expose Emerging Challenges of Media Management in Africa in the Digital Age

Abstract

Job hopping is not a new phenomenon. World over, people have, and continue to move from one employer to another, or from one job to another, based on a myriad reasons. The media industry, therefore, is not an exception. However, it seems that with technological advancement, and with a much more variety of media to work for, Media Practitioners' (MPs) hopping is not only frequent but leaves an indomitable mark on the media house, employer, colleagues and the audiences. That MPs hop is not the essence of this study. But rather because hopping is more rampant in this digital age, due to the many media houses and opportunities available seems to be an indicator of emerging challenges of media management in the Continent. For instance, immediately after the 4th March 2013 General Elections in Kenya, a major media house lost 21 key MPs to a competitor. Such an abrupt occurrence definitely affects the station, colleagues and audiences. Therefore, knowing the reasons why MPs hop could enable media managers (employers) handle the challenge of media hopping and lessen the turnover in their respective media houses.