Private sector calls for media collaboration on sustainability, social impact

James Gatere Head of I&M Foundation peaking during a media engagement. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

The media has been urged to increase coverage of impactful, development and sustainability stories in a rapidly changing world. 

The calls came out during a media roundtable organised by I&M Foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of I&M Bank in Nairobi.

“We want to work with you and what we would like to see is you come and pick the stories and run with them.” 

“This world has a different future and I&M Bank thinks about sustainability. And we believe that if we want to be sustainable, the people, planet have to play their part,” said Head of I&M Foundation James Gatere. 

As the foundation celebrates five years, Gatere said they will scale up what works and unlock financing to the grassroots.

He said the foundation will spend over Sh180 million to transform Ngong Road forest starting with fencing it, putting up rangers' houses and improving security and space within the forest.

The foundation has four pillars including economic empowerment, enabling giving, environmental conservation and education and skills development.

According to I&M Bank CEO Gul Khan, the bank is annually allocating two per cent of its pretax profits to the foundation. 

The roundtable, which featured a panel discussion, brought together editors, journalists covering climate change, and experts in the development and sustainability sectors. 

Vicky Karuga, founder and managing director of Profiles International EA, said she sees media as an amplifier that helps to bring accountability.

“It’s now upon the media to look for those impactful stories because there are already and amplify them and start setting agendas to set some of the narratives that we see,” she said.

Nelson Komba, a communications officer at Generation Kenya, said the private sector has missed coverage on development and sustainability initiatives.

“I think the private sector is not getting a good chunk of the media coverage in issues of development and sustainability. On issues of unemployment, for instance, the media will want to highlight the suffering of the young people due to jobs,” said Komba.

“We have not seen media telling a story from companies, for instance, and ask them what they exactly want so that they inform policy on skills development."

Kombo asked the media companies to give corporates chances for free coverage for the first and maybe second time, and not demand that the stories should be sponsored adverts.

He said doing this may open avenues for sponsored content in future after the first and second coverage free of charge.

Ian Fernadez, executive director at Engage BCW, said covering stories done by corporates will encourage them to do more, instead of only giving them a pictorial on Monday for instance.

“I challenge the media to start quantifying how much corporates give towards CSR and ask if that tap will close, how much this country will suffer. If you don’t tell these stories, how long will CSR continue?” he posed.