Luminate — the philanthropic arm of Omidyar Group is unveiling a $1 million media lab for journalists, publishers and media entrepreneurs in Kenya. Tagged the Baraza Media Lab, the innovation aims to boost media capacity and polish them to report in the public interest.
The Baraza Media Lab will provide an enabling environment for independent media to thrive and provide the space for innovation within the media industry. It will serve as a hub for media practitioners, and also help them build crucial relationships within the media, civil society, and the citizenry.
The hub will run a content program that will deliver training focused on journalists. This will help in addressing the explicit needs of journalists in the community while fostering innovation that will help the media beyond the predictable readership and membership model.
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The lab will leverage training modules like innovative content delivery, payment infrastructure, and the wider use of technology like data and analytics to boost the media sectors. It will be located at Keystone Park in Riverside, Nairobi and is to commence operation before the end of the year.
Ory Okolloh, the Managing Director at Luminate, noted that supporting a vibrant media eco-system in Kenya will help grow the numbers; stating that the Baraza Media Lab will be an important ‘anchor’ for journalists and entrepreneurs.
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