By Hezron Ochiel
Across Kenya and other parts of the world, journalists are reconsidering their careers as newsrooms face financial pressures, changing audience behaviour and declining advertising revenue.
For some, public relations (PR) offers an opportunity to apply their newsroom experience in a different professional environment.
I understand the attraction. Having worked in journalism before moving into strategic communication, I have experienced how valuable newsroom skills can be within organisations.
But I have also learnt something important.
Knowing how to write a good story does not necessarily prepare someone to become an effective PR professional.
The transition requires understanding how organisations operate, how decisions are made, and what different stakeholders expect from communication.
Journalists considering PR careers need to understand these responsibilities before making the move.
Why journalists are considering careers in PR
Kenya’s media industry continues to face considerable financial pressure.
The Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report notes that advertising revenue has increasingly shifted towards global digital platforms, affecting the resources available to domestic news organisations.
Delayed government advertising payments, reportedly amounting to KSh 866 million, have added to the industry’s financial difficulties. Newsroom restructuring and layoffs have followed.
These developments help explain why some journalists are exploring opportunities beyond traditional media.
I examined related challenges in an earlier article on why newspapers in Kenya are facing a slow collapse.
Journalism still serves an important public-interest function. Digital publishing has also created opportunities for reporters to establish independent news platforms and pursue specialised reporting.
At the same time, organisations need professionals who can manage communication challenges, advise management and engage effectively with stakeholders.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global public relations services market was valued at approximately US$102.38 billion in 2025.
The figure illustrates the industry’s scale. It does not establish how many journalists are entering PR or whether employment opportunities are increasing in Kenya.
Nevertheless, journalism equips professionals with skills useful in organisational communication.
The challenge is learning how to apply them in a different working environment.
What journalism skills transfer into public relations?
Journalists bring considerable strengths to PR.
They know how to research unfamiliar subjects, conduct interviews, verify information and explain complicated issues to audiences.
Newsroom experience also develops the ability to work under pressure and recognise what makes information newsworthy.
These skills remain valuable in media relations and institutional communication.
Consider a communication officer preparing a statement about a sensitive organisational matter.
The officer needs to establish the facts, understand what has happened and anticipate the questions stakeholders may ask.
A journalist’s training can help with that work.
However, PR introduces responsibilities that may be unfamiliar to someone accustomed to newsroom reporting.
A journalist may investigate a story with considerable editorial independence. Within an organisation, communication often requires consulting departments, following internal policies, and seeking advice from senior managers.
The professional must understand how communication decisions affect the institution and the people it serves.
This is where the transition becomes more demanding.
Journalism and PR: Understanding the difference
Journalism and public relations share professional skills, but their responsibilities differ.
Journalists investigate and report matters of public interest, exercising editorial judgement within their professional obligations.
PR professionals advise organisations on communication, reputation and stakeholder relationships. They also have responsibilities to the audiences affected by the information they provide.
Both professions require accuracy and sound ethical judgement.
The difference becomes apparent when an organisation experiences a problem.
A journalist investigating a service failure may examine what happened, seek explanations and report the findings.
A PR professional working within that organisation must also establish the facts. The role may involve advising management on the implications, recommending corrective action and communicating the institution’s response.
Sometimes that advice may be uncomfortable for management.
A competent PR professional should be able to explain why concealing a legitimate concern or issuing a misleading statement could create greater reputational damage.
The ability to provide such advice comes from understanding organisational responsibilities and exercising professional judgement.
Writing skills remain important, but they are only one part of the role.
Three skills journalists need to succeed in PR
1. Strategic communication planning
Journalists understand how to identify and report stories.
PR professionals must also establish what an organisation needs to communicate, which audiences require the information and what the communication is expected to achieve.
This involves stakeholder analysis, communication audits, strategic planning and performance measurement.
A story may attract considerable media attention without helping the intended audience understand an issue or take the required action.
Communication teams need to examine what audiences understood and whether the information met their needs.
That requires a broader assessment than media coverage alone.
2. Organisational and stakeholder management
PR professionals work with people whose interests and expectations may differ.
They need to understand management decisions, institutional policies and the concerns of employees, regulators, customers and other stakeholders.
Confidentiality and internal approval procedures are also important.
For journalists accustomed to making editorial decisions within a newsroom, these responsibilities can require considerable adjustment.
Understanding organisational structures and building relationships across departments can make the transition easier.
3. Digital communication and discoverability
Organisations increasingly need communication professionals who understand how people find information through websites, search engines and AI-assisted platforms.
Journalists already possess a useful foundation in writing, research and audience understanding.
However, search engine optimisation (SEO), website analytics and AI search visibility require additional knowledge.
In my article on Digital PR for SEO, I examine how digital publishing and earned media can contribute to the accessibility and credibility of organisational information.
Journalists who develop these capabilities may be better prepared for communication roles that go beyond conventional media relations.
The Hezron Transition Framework
Drawing on my experience in journalism and strategic communication, I developed the Hezron Transition Framework to help journalists assess their readiness for PR careers.
It consists of four stages.
1. Skill Mapping
Begin by identifying the skills you have developed in journalism.
These may include research, interviewing, writing, editing, verification and audience analysis.
Examine how those capabilities relate to PR responsibilities and identify areas requiring further development.
Practical outcome: A transferable-skills inventory and a clear understanding of your training needs.
2. Strategic Repositioning
Study the requirements of the PR roles you intend to pursue.
A journalist experienced in political reporting may have relevant skills for public affairs communication, for instance, but may still need to develop expertise in stakeholder engagement and institutional strategy.
Use that assessment to position yourself for roles that match your experience while addressing the identified gaps.
Practical outcome: A targeted professional profile and skills-development plan.
3. Visibility Building
Develop a portfolio that shows how you can apply your skills to communication challenges.
A communication analysis, media engagement plan or documented case study can help prospective employers assess your capabilities.
Publishing relevant professional insights may also make your work easier to discover.
The portfolio should demonstrate genuine competence rather than simply make claims about your experience.
Practical outcome: An accessible collection of work relevant to the PR roles you are pursuing.
4. Practical Application
Look for opportunities to gain experience in organisational communication.
These may involve supporting stakeholder engagement, contributing to communication campaigns or participating in strategic planning.
Pay attention to the responsibilities associated with representing an institution, particularly professional ethics, confidentiality and accountability.
Practical outcome: Documented experience demonstrating your ability to undertake PR assignments.
The framework offers a practical way to plan a career transition. It does not guarantee employment or replace the experience required for specialised positions.
What my career has taught me
My work across journalism, health communication and institutional PR has changed how I think about communication effectiveness.
In journalism, much of my responsibility involved researching issues, establishing facts and producing stories that audiences could understand.
When I moved into organisational communication, I had to consider what happened after the information reached its audience.
At Amref Health Africa, I communicated health issues and engaged journalists and other stakeholders.
At the Kenya Medical Training College, my responsibilities have included institutional communication and reputation management.
These experiences reinforced the importance of understanding who needs information and the decisions that information should support.
An institution can secure extensive media coverage while leaving important stakeholder questions unanswered.
A communication professional needs to recognise such gaps and advise the organisation on how to address them.
My journalism background has remained valuable, especially in research, verification and writing.
But strategic communication has required me to develop a deeper understanding of organisational priorities and stakeholder expectations.
That is why I encourage journalists considering PR careers to learn how institutions operate.
Understand the decision-making processes. Develop stakeholder engagement skills. Become comfortable using evidence to advise management.
These capabilities become increasingly important as communication responsibilities grow.
Should journalists leave newsrooms for PR?
There is no single answer.
Some journalists may find public relations professionally rewarding. Others may prefer to remain in journalism or explore independent publishing.
In an earlier article, I examined how unemployed journalists are building digital news platforms and creating jobs.
Public relations is one possible career path among several.
Journalists considering the move should examine the responsibilities, working conditions and ethical requirements of the opportunities available to them.
PR is not automatically easier or more secure than journalism.
Organisations also face financial constraints, restructuring and demanding performance expectations.
A journalist who wants to make the transition should therefore assess whether the work matches their interests and whether they are prepared for the responsibilities involved.
Final thoughts
Journalism provides a useful foundation for a career in public relations.
The research discipline, writing ability and understanding of audiences developed in newsrooms remain valuable.
However, journalists entering PR need to understand that organisational communication carries additional responsibilities.
They must learn to advise management, interpret stakeholder concerns and evaluate whether communication has achieved its intended purpose.
Digital communication skills can strengthen their prospects, particularly as institutions place greater emphasis on making information accessible through search and AI-powered platforms.
For journalists considering the move, I recommend starting with an assessment of what you already know and what you still need to learn.
My years in journalism taught me the importance of establishing facts before writing.
Working in strategic communication taught me that the responsibility continues after publication, when people need information they can understand and use.
That is one of the most important lessons I would share with anyone considering a transition from journalism to public relations.
About the Author
Hezron Ochiel is Assistant Director, Corporate Communication at the Kenya Medical Training College and founder of Hezron Insights.
He has more than 15 years of experience across journalism, health communication, media engagement, institutional reputation and strategic communication.
His work has appeared in publications including Reuters, The New Humanitarian and The Standard.