In his two decades as a journalist in Kenya, Wallace Kantai has reported top business news for all of Kenya’s leading newspapers, and interviewed some of the world's most high-profile business leaders and policymakers.

Aspiring business reporters might imagine he shows up for interviews armed with statistics and questions, but his advice is the opposite: show up without notes.

“It’s important to ask general questions,” Kantai, business editor at leading Kenyan television station NTV, told IJNet in an interview. “Because if you get caught up in numbers, you’ll lose your chance to find out the big stuff.“

In a news environment saturated with politics and talking heads, Kantai says business news gets limited space in Africa. The limited business coverage that does appear is “bland,” he said, and overflows with stats and press-release rewrites.

The latest round in the African Story Challenge aims to spur innovation in the way African journalists report on business and technology. The contest, run by the African Media Initiative (AMI) and led by former ICFJ Knight International Journalism Fellow Joseph Warungu, will award grants of up to US$20,000 for investigative, digital and data-driven stories on key African business and tech issues. Winners will also get training and mentorship to help them refine their ideas and create stories with lasting impact.

Kantai talked with IJNet about how reporters can improve their business and tech coverage. Read the post on IJNet.
* The International Journalists' Network, IJNet, keeps professional and citizen journalists up to date on the latest media innovations, online journalism resources, training opportunities and expert advice. ICFJ produces IJNet in seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. IJNet is supported by donors including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.