The Standard Media Group has launched its revamped newsroom in a project dubbed "Project Eagle" seeking to bring together the different media divisions to one central platform.
The giant media house is looking to change the way it packages its content, mirroring the transformation that an eagle goes through to renew itself, in a bid to attract a newer audience.
Behind the transformation is a group of seasoned journalists working together to facilitate the move towards a converged newsroom, that focuses on how the audience consumes content.
Ochieng Rapuro
Rapuro is a seasoned journalist with a successful career. He joined the Standard Group in 2019 as the Editor-in-Chief, taking over from Joe Odindo who resigned after his contact expired.
As the Editor-in-Chief, Rapuro is the overall head of the transformation project targeted at achieving the necessary reinvention of the company.
"Our converged newsroom will in the medium term not only serve as a centre of journalism excellence but also Africa's largest experiment in innovation and training in multi-media journalism," he stated during the launch.
The editorial head who holds a Master of Arts Degree in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Potsdam took over the office, after being poached from the Nation Media Group after a brief stint as the media house's East African Weekly Managing Editor.
Kipkoech Tanui
Tanui's resume speaks for itself as he is the Executive Editor and Head of News, a role that places him as the second in command in the editorial department.
He joined the media house in 2001, has held the position of the former deputy editorial director and Managing Editor, Daily Editions of the Standard publication, where he oversaw the production of the daily publications.
He was in fact, among the potential replacements of former editorial director Joe Odindo before the company settled on Rapuro as Editor-in-Chief.
He is a prolific writer, known for his weekly column in the Friday Standard.
Kizito Namulanda
Kizito took over as Head of Convergence at Standard Group in December 2020, where he is tasked with ensuring that the broadcasting, print, and digital divisions work in harmony and under the same editorial command.
Before taking over convergence he headed Think Outdoor, Standard Group’s advertising arm which sunk under his watch.
He has been at Standard for 15 years and five months after first joining the organization as a News Editor in August 2005 from Mwananchi Communications Limited in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.
Sophia Wanuna
The graceful anchor who prides herself in a successful career in anchoring, took over the Standard Broadcast Editor in acting capacity from Peter Opondo in July 2021, who was sacked on grounds of unsatisfactory performance.
She has over 10 years of experience as a news anchor, TV host, and political reporter, and has worked with other major media houses, starting her career in Media Max Limited.
Regarding the transformation, Wanuna stated that the new converged newsroom was informed by the changing customer trends in the consumption of news.
"The relaunch provides an excellent occasion for new projects as you will notice in our revamped programming," she remarked.
Carol Kimutai
Kimutai is the company's Digital Editor at the Standard Group where she is responsible for growing online audiences for broadcast and print brands in the group.
She is a prolific writer, with a career spanning over 17 years in both print and broadcast journalism.
Kimutai's role is at the core of the media house's transformation, as she oversees the consolidation of audiences from different mediums, to access news from different products of the company.
"The transformation is putting the consumer at the centre of news decisions, as we are moving towards a world where they require to access their news in real time," she stated during the newsroom launch.
