Standard Media Group is perhaps confining its journalists to traditional media platforms while modernity is demanding for the convergence of the old ways with a refined use of the web.
The trend has hit-hard journalist at the media house after being locked out of using their employer’s resources in accessing and using the most sought-after social media.
This is despite boasting of having a pool of top online media journalists and running some of the most popular online media platforms in the country.
[caption caption="The Standard Group Headquarters on Mombasa road-Nairobi(PHOTO/COURTESY) "]
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Sources at the Standard have intimated to Kenyans.co.ke that the company blocked its staff from accessing Facebook and Youtube in the name of cutting down on its internet expenses.
On Friday evening, the online staff at the Standard were up in arms after the ICT team lay a barrier to the two platforms.
Kenyans.co.ke has established that it took the intervention of Standard Digital Managing Editor for the ban to be lifted tentatively, just for the online team.
“Online Managing Editor had to make them understand that there is no way we can be working on the web without accessing Facebook and Youtube. It is after raising numerous complaints that they ended up granting us access, she saved us,” disclosed our source, insisting they stay anonymous.
Other staff including those working with KTN News and KTN Home have limited access to the platform.
The webmasters at the Standard announced on Friday that the lockout directive had been effected and sought a count of staff whose work had been affected by the move.
“The IT team has disabled Facebook and Youtube on the network. You may let us know if anyone on your teams has been affected by the changes,” reads a notification sent to various department team leaders on Friday.
According to an internal memo we came across, the management had decided that there will be no access to social media sites, Facebook and YouTube, between 8 am to 9 pm.
“As a result of increased internet usage, it has become necessary to manage its use in order to ensure the smooth running of the business. This has been necessitated by the increase in business applications that are online based, e.g. Success Factors. There is, therefore, need to limit some applications and allow access only for business related cases, “ indicates the notice in part.
After effecting the change, the media house's top management at a meeting in Mombasa during the weekend announced plans to expand its outlets across East Africa.
During the meeting, the group also sponsored a corporate golf tournament that was played at a top hotel in Mombasa while their employees were scratching their heads over the limited social media access.
[caption caption="The limited internet access was announced in a notice earlier this month(PHOTO/COURTESY)"]
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