Journalism in the Business world


Written By Jane Njeri Thuo

Pursuing journalism was one of the most important things in young Rita's life. Growing up she enrolled for a journalism course at the then Kenya Polytechnic University College in 2012. The middle aged lady now supplies raw peeled potatoes to different supermarkets in the city for them to cook fried potatoes commonly referred to as "chips".She says she changed her mind while in school when she realized she could make more money as a business woman as opposed to being fully attached to a media house like most journalists are.


Luckily for her,she had worked in a company that payed her very well owing to the fact she had good credentials and this enabled her put aside some money which enabled her to buy raw products needed for her business and enough money to pay her workers. Her position there was not so comfortable to her and soon she resigned so as to concentrate on her studies and a new business she wanted to venture into. She did her market research and decided to venture into the food business.At school she did a unit in Business planning and this heavily helped her in running her business,the business plan she had created really helped her to hit the ground running in terms of the assets to purchase and raw materials.


At first,she experienced hitches here and there.At times her suppliers would fail her miserably by not supplying her or supplying very little,prices would fluctuate often and in rare cases her sack of potatoes would disappear and a lot of time would be consumed looking for them. All this she was prepared for and could not let a faint heart get in her way.


Months later after her journalism course she is doing well in her business,getting good profits but still has a certain urge to use her journalism training in a kind of way even if it is not in a media house.During her free time she uses a camera she bought while still in school to take videos at social events, photographs and even lends out her camera for a fee,to her it is not about the money but rather the passion that she has for the job.
Sometimes in her business she experiences bad and good days just like anyother business person and from the bad day she is somehow cushioned owing to the fact that it is not her only source of income,moreover journalism was and still is her passion.
 


Journalism,University,Training