The Standard Media Group on Saturday revealed that it had acted to address the immediate needs of one of its staffers who was depicted threatening to commit suicide in a viral video.
In the clip, the employee speaking from Standard's headquarters on Mombasa Road, communicated his disenchantment with the salary delays and demanded to be paid.
Standard acknowledged that it was aware of the distress the salary delays had caused to staff and assured that the company was doing its best to address the situation amid a difficult financial position.
It was revealed that the staffer in question is a freelancer, who had been on sabbatical when the video was recorded.
"Our attention has been drawn to a distressing incident that occurred on our premises this afternoon involving one of our freelancers, who is currently on a sabbatical,"
"This incident, in which the individual recorded himself in a distressing situation, has profoundly affected us, and we want to express our sincere empathy and concern for our colleague. Following the incident, we were able to address the freelancer's immediate needs, the company stated.
Troubled Standard
Standard, the oldest privately-owned media house in the country, has been struggling financially in the past few years. The media house has taken a significant beating from the disruption digital channels have caused traditional media.
So much has been the disruption and financial challenges that the company was forced to close down KTN News, the country's flagship and only 24-hour news channel in the past month.
The decision to shut down KTN News was purely a business decision with the company experiencing severe cash flow problems. While the news became public on August 6, visible signs of waning broadcasting had been there from July 5.
Other TV stations owned by the media stable such as KTN Burudani and KTN Farmers TV are also rumored to be on the chopping block.
The move to shut down KTN News, came barely two weeks after the company announced it would be laying off 300 employees in cost-cutting measures.
"In reaching this decision, we took into consideration, the difficult operating environment and its long-drawn effect on revenue generation," read a notice issued by the company at the time.
Counsellors, medics, and psychologists recommend seeking help whenever you experience any mental health issue. Call the Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199, for support.
