After 14 years of gracing the screens at Nation Media Group, legendary news anchor Mark Masai has been shown the door. This comes following business realignments in the company.
“NTV Kenya is a great team! These are different times. Was a great show. Time for short a commercial break. I’ll be back! This is not the end of my career in the media.” Mark said.
Mark Masai’s post on Twitter days after being fired elicited mixed reactions. Some social media users alleged that he was indirectly attacking the media company. This was after he said that there is a need for a conversation about Human Resources and how operations can be managed better.
However, Mark came out to deny the allegations saying his post was not directed to the Nation Media Group but was about a general conversation on Human Resource practices.
A few days ago, Mark co-hosted a Twitter Spaces where they discussed how Human Resource works with technology.
The veteran TV anchor’s fans encouraged him to capitalise on opportunities in the digital new media spaces to create a brand for himself.
“The Human Resource key role is to defend the employer Once this is learnt, one will know that the employer should get the bare minimum of 30% of the employees’ energy and the rest 70% should be focused on personal development because once one is out, the operations do not look back.” one of his fans suggested.
Khal Tawfiq: “HR is not your friend. Their job is to defend the employer. Once you learn this you will know that the employer should get a bare minimum of 30% of your energy and the rest 70% focus on personal development and family. Because once you hit the road they won’t look back.”
Wayne Watyii: “Media Houses need to have an HR Dept exclusively dedicated to Newsroom staff. Many Media Houses lump HR for marketing, TV production, and Sales dept with Newsroom staff. Yet all these other departments work 8 am-5 pm. Newsroom staff often work 7-10 pm. Editors work even longer.”
Asman Aguyo: “There’s a reason y’all ain’t HR experts. The company appreciates and supports their decision. As much as Employees might think they’re the best, have the grace to accept that people view you differently and that the company ain’t yours.”
Other social media users suggested that Human Resource only operates on what the board and the investors want. Some claimed that Human Resources operates as such not only in media houses but also in other industries as well.
Popular names like Dennis Okari were also relieved of their duties at Nation Media Group. The company announced that it will focus on a digital transformation journey under its long-term goals.
Article by Abigael Muli
About the writer:
Abigael Muli is a passionate journalist exploring avenues to change how stories are told. She is a second-year student of Journalism and Mass Communication at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication. She enjoys socializing and travelling to different places to get new experiences and share them with the world. Her email is muliabigael14@gmail.com