The Challenges of Environmental Journalism in Kenya : A qualitative study of journalists perceived occupational challenges, safety and professional practice in Kenya

Sammanfattning

Kenya is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, making environmental journalism a vital tool for survival. This study explores the safety and working conditions of Kenyan environmental journalists through a broad perspective, moving beyond physical threats to include digital, financial, and psychological dimensions.The aim is to identify the structural challenges facing these journalists and how these obstacles shape their reporting, as well as the way they understand their professional roles. Based on ten qualitative interviews with Kenyan environmental journalists, the study is theoretically grounded in concepts such as precarious labor, journalism culture, and market censorship.The findings reveal eight interconnected challenges: Physical safety: Journalists face threats and surveillance when reporting on sensitive issues. Linguistic barriers: A lexical gap makes it hard to translate scientific terms into local languages. Technical complexity: A lack of science training makes it difficult to explain climate data. Material precarity: Financial insecurity and low pay create constant stress for reporters. Market censorship: Powerful advertisers influence what stories get published. Narrative choices: Journalists are shifting toward solutions journalism to keep the audience engaged. Source accessibility: It is often difficult to get information due to slow and complicated systems. Institutional neglect: A lack of support from newsroom management leaves journalists feeling isolated. The study concludes that these challenges are systemic rather than individual. Financial instability increases the risk of corruption, while linguistic and technical gaps detach climate issues from the daily lives of local people. Ultimately, the climate crisis in Kenyan journalism is an economic and political struggle, where structural insecurity threatens the spread of essential climate information.