A year after DaParrot Media Limited’s news Website (www.daparrot.com) published its very first article online on September 14, 2021; it has transitioned from three readers to the current 200,000 total website readership.
Despite the slow readership turnover for the first month’s existence, its initial staff was not frightened to widely promote its content to respective online platforms using their vast journalism skills.
“The start is not always easy but the first criticism guarantees success, I remember we could share stories widely but the readership still remained low for the first days, it was a tough start but we are finally here,” said Vicent Nathan Lusambya, the founding Editor.
Beyond articulately reporting stories that directly touch the lives of people on governance, Politics, and security, DaParrot gradually penetrated into its now outstanding audience.
“Other factors remaining constant, we effectively embarked on reporting stories that we thought would attract better readership and as of today we have 200,000 total views with a daily website visit of between 3000 and 5000 readers,” said Lusambya.
DaParrot is the fastest youth-led media organization, operating under DaParrot Media Ltd whose mother Group is YoMarketStore. The two companies are registered by the Uganda Registration Service Bureau.
The art of initially randomly writing catchy content according to founding directors moved DaParrot great miles irrespective of sticking to fields to which the DaParrot was initiated.
“We realized later that we had diverted from what we bench-marked before starting the people’s Website,” he said.
We wanted to create a platform that would publish stories that directly impact the less privileged, handle Special Reports and hold those in authority accountable.”
The three founders, two journalists, and an IT expert who ventured into business would later intensify efforts towards creating content that would put smiles on suffering communities.
“We have since run stories that have seen our audience not only grow but create a positive impact on the community,” said Yasin Sokuton, the Chief Executive Officer and Assistant Head of Business.
“It was a privilege worthy credit to our readers that we got our first business in December that very year from an International Agency that gave us a banner advert, this lignified our efforts and made us work more,” he said further.
Five Member Team Joins
On witnessing that that business had started flowing in thus need for a wider coverage team, the founders brought in two other people; Mariam Namakula and Arajab Wampula.
“Mariam joined the features desk, to which she has contributed great development, while Arajab was still a student of journalism at UMCAT Mbale joined the general news department. The duo has done a tremendous job towards the development of the people’s Media House,” Sokuton said.
Lusambya however, credited Mariam who he said spearheaded a story ‘Growing Darkness of Export Labour’ which led to the initiation of a working relationship with the Parliamentary Forum for Labour, Decent Employment and Productivity (PFLDEP) further adding that this has since been instrumental to the media house’s growth.
“DaParrot family had now grown to five when two other members joined; Abdu Kimera a senior writer in Kampala and Hawa Namujehe, and together we have grown and still aiming higher,” said Lusambya.
“Namujehe is a full-time committed Bugisu & Bukedi sub- region general news foot soldier to whose efforts the media house has penetrated the audience of the regions,” Lusambya said adding that “We are optimistic that we shall grow into a media giant since where we are coming from is far and the future is the limit.”
