Why should I join?
As editors the question why I should join the guild is probably one of the top ones on your mind,that is if you are already not a member.
Here are a few reasons why you should be part of the guild:
[history date=”Peer meetings and reviews. ” start=”yes” title=”So how often do you get to meet and chat with editors from other media houses to generally discuss our work as editors?” color=”theme”] With constant outreaches that include the monthly press club, town hall meetings and constant networking meetings, the guild gives you the opportunity to not only regularly meet with peers, often but to also get to hear from them, how they think we are can improve journalism. Being a member of the Guild ensures that you are top of the list whenever these meetings happen.[/history]
[history date=”Training and Workshops:” start=”yes” color=”theme”]The last few months there has been goodwill from different organizations and institutions to continuously build the capacity of editors. Some of these will be done through focused topical trainings and workshops that will be carried out locally and internationally. When these opportunities arise, members will for sure be the top beneficiaries.[/history]
[history date=”Networking:” start=”yes” color=”theme”]Membership to the Guild will give members a networking opportunity to network not only with opinion shapers but also with audiences. The regular professional meetings that the guild is involved in will allow members to meet key story sources and the who- is -who in the country.
The Guild organises three flagship events: The Press Club, the Town Hall meetings, and the Annual Kenya Editors’ Guild National Convention. These events offer an opportunity to interact and network with colleagues, and other professionals as a way of advancing your work and that of the media with society.
As a member, you will have the opportunity to attend the Press Club meetings. The Press Club brings together members and other industry players and stakeholders to assess the state of the media. The press club meetings are also used to build bonds between the different players within the media industry to protect press freedom.
In addition, members will have an opportunity to interact and network with the grassroots in Kenya through the Town Hall meetings. The monthly Town Hall meetings are held in different parts of the country to seriously interrogate issues relating to media performance and press freedom in Kenya. The main remit will be to enhance public understanding of and relationship with the media as a way of advancing press freedom and a credible and trustworthy media interested in the advancement of truth and the public interest. These meetings will also help members of the public understand the role of the media as their watchdog and how they can use the media to put county governments on check.
The Annual Kenya Editors’ Guild National Convention will help members gather and discuss their work in a professional setting. During the meeting, members will not only have an opportunity to network but also interrogate issues that affect them and the industry. Membership also offers an opportunity to network with both local and international media via various activities that the Guild is involved in. As a member of the African Editors’ Forum, KEG offers an opportunity for you to work with others in the continent to advance media freedom and professionalism.
So far, the four press club luncheons that have been hosted by the guild have included the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya David Maraga, the Cabinet Secretary for information and communication Joe Mucheru, outgoing Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett and officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Beyond the
professional meetings there is also the more informal town hall meetings that will have editors from different media houses having a sit down and chatting with their audiences across the country to better understand the needs of their audiences. The meetings will be going across the country and they will allow editors to better understand how to package information for different audiences and people across the nation.[/history]
[history date=”Membership Directory:” start=”yes” color=”theme”] A membership directory and contact list will be created and regularly updated by the Guild’s secretariat. This list will be shared with any institution or organization that will want to professionally engage editors.[/history]