The Effects of Social Media on Newspaper Content Distribution

The Star newspaper is arguably the epitome of bold experimentation in the newspaper industry in Kenya. Over time, Star has evolved from a social features newspaper to a political newspaper, growing from a weekly tabloid to a daily circulation newspaper. It is now at the forefront of distributing content on social media channels, print circulation, and digital platforms. This research explored the influence of social media channels on content distribution in Star newspaper. As people use social media platforms to consume news, an increasing number of newspaper channels are turning to social media to catch users' attention. The use of digital devices such as mobile gadgets to access social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram make these channels useful for audiences. It explored how Star publications is developing, packaging and disseminating content to reach various audiences. The study used the domestication of technology theory as the theoretical framework to understand how news production and dissemination has adopted social media technologies that were otherwise not meant for the industry but have made successful use of these technologies.