Photo Facebook Courtesy. 
By Andrew Mbuva
A new nationwide survey has revealed shifting patterns in how Kenyans consume, trust, and perceive the media, with traditional platforms such as television and radio maintaining higher trust levels compared to social media and online news sources.
The State of Media Survey 2024 also highlights growing concerns about misinformation, biases, and inadequate coverage of key public issues, even as digital and AI-powered platforms continue to shape news consumption habits.
According to the survey, a majority of Kenyans continue to place greater confidence in traditional media. Television emerged as the most trusted medium, with trust levels standing at approximately 66%, followed closely by radio at 65%. Newspaper trust levels were also relatively strong at 59%, outperforming most digital sources.
By contrast, trust in social media sources remained noticeably lower at 60%, highlighting a persistent perception gap between traditional newsrooms and online platforms. Even though social media now rivals TV and radio as a primary source of news, the public remains cautious about its reliability.
Despite lower trust levels, social media sustained its position as one of the leading sources of information for Kenyans. Platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram recorded widespread weekly usage. WhatsApp and Facebook were the most used, each at 20%, with TikTok at 14% and YouTube at 12%.
The report shows Kenyans are spending substantial time online, with 31% spending 3 or more hours daily on social media and another 26% spending more than 6 hours. The most common reasons for engaging online include communication (18%), entertainment (18%), and accessing news and information (15%). A small but notable portion—5%—reported using social media for gossip.
However, this surge in online activity has not translated into higher trust. Social media platforms continue to face skepticism from users who fear the rapid spread of unverified information.
The survey paints a clear picture of what worries Kenyans most about their media environment. The spread of false or misleading information emerged as the leading concern at 21%, followed by inadequate coverage of important issues (15%), and media bias (15%). Gaming and gambling promotions (14%) and frequent advertising (12%) were also raised as notable irritants.
These concerns come at a time when the public is increasingly dependent on digital platforms, intensifying the need for more responsible content moderation and journalism standards.
The survey also explored how Kenyans perceive the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in media production and distribution.
Overall awareness stood at 39%, with rural respondents showing higher awareness levels (51%) compared to urban residents (36%). Meanwhile, 46% of Kenyans reported that they occasionally use media platforms or apps integrated with AI features, while between 16%–24% said they use them regularly depending on locality.
This indicates a steadily rising interaction with AI-powered tools—such as recommendation algorithms, automated news updates, and voice assistants—even though many users may not fully understand how these technologies influence the content they consume.
While digital platforms continue to grow in popularity, trust in traditional media remains comparatively higher, underscoring Kenyans’ preference for established sources in navigating the current information-heavy environment.
At the same time, concerns about misinformation, media bias, and uneven coverage illustrate the challenges facing both journalists and policymakers as the country moves deeper into the digital era.
The rise in AI awareness further signals that Kenya’s media consumption patterns are entering a new phase—one in which technology, trust, and information integrity will increasingly shape public opinion.
