Weekly Citizen, Kenya

Abstract

Brian provides a discussion on tabloid journalism practice in Kenya focusing on the Weekly Citizen often referred to an alternative press. The chapter looks at its formation, and its professional practice. It discusses how the tabloid operates within the infotainment genre and its role in democracy. Brian provides some of challenges the tabloid often grapple with, and how it has positioned itself. The chapter provides some of the stories that have led to its popularity as an infotainment genre and how it has suffered persistent crackdown by the government and political authorities. Brian also offers insights on how its tabloid journalists operate, and how their work exposes them to various arrests and even death threats. Brian concludes that the tabloid has struggled to be accepted by some people, especially members of the mainstream media, while others see it as a must read for its taste of salacious and sensational stories.