Communication Practitioners’ Views on Managing Media Relations for Effective Corporate Communication in Higher Education: A Case of Select Universities in Kenya

Abstract

The competitiveness of the higher education landscape has intensified due to many factors among them; the proliferation of tertiary institutions, entry of nontraditional education players, reduced government support, and increased demands from internal and external stakeholders. In response, universities have adopted market-oriented practices, particularly enhancing their corporate communication (CC) functions, to effectively manage their internal and external stakeholders. This study focused on one specific sub-function of CC - media relations - and examined how CC practitioners working in select universities in Kenya manage media relations. Unlike previous research that predominantly quantifies media outputs, this study explored the ‘how’ of media relations and especially the influences at play during media relations work. By employing purposive sampling, the research gathered insights from seven universities through observations, document reviews, and in-depth interviews with CC practitioners working in the selected universities. Guided by Pang's (2009) Mediating the Media model, the study addressed three research questions: (1) How do CC practitioners manage internal influences for effective media relations? (2) How do CC practitioners handle external influences? (3) What other influences contribute to managing effective media relations? The data collected was analysed through thematic analysis, and the emergent themes were categorised either as internal, external or other influences. The findings revealed that CC practitioners utilise a range of internal and external influences to secure media coverage across mainstream and digital platforms, including e-news sites, bloggers, vloggers, and influencers. The study also revealed additional internal university influences that are crucial when undertaking media relations in universities, including use of owned platforms websites, social media pages, campus radios and TV stations too. Additionally, universities’ departments and faculty form strategic partnerships that serve to increase media visibility for these institutions. The study further proposes a conceptual framework and a revision of Mediating the Media model, ranking these influences based on the study’s research outcomes.