The award is a recognition in the United States (US) which places her among the top graduate students in the division in America.
Former Kenyan radio journalist, Teresia Nzau, known by many as Terry Nzau, is the winner of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Public Relations Division’s Inez Kaiser Award for 2024.
The award is a recognition in the United States (US) which places her among the top graduate students in the division in America.
The total amount of each award is $1,000, amounting to Ksh129,381 in current exchange rates. Two award recipients will receive funding intended to cover one-year memberships to AEJMC and the Public Relations Division or MCSD, as well as 2024 conference registration, with additional funding that could be used toward research costs or conference travel.
Speaking to Viral Tea, Nzau lauded the significance of the award as a student of colour and a champion of feminism.
Former Kenyan radio journalist Terry Nzau. /MBAITU FM
“This prestigious honour is beyond my wildest dreams, and I am incredibly grateful for the recognition. Thank you for this amazing award,” she appreciated.
“As a student of colour and a feminist champion, this award truly means the world to me!”
The award honours Inez Kaiser, the first African-American woman to belong to the Public Relations Society of America and to head a public relations agency with national clients. Inez Kaiser & Associates was the first African-American female-owned PR agency.
She added, “I will receive the award in Philadelphia in August 2024 during the annual AEJMC conference.”
Nzau is a Media Relations, Engagement/Corporate Communications specialist, and Media trainer with a wealth of experience in the radio industry in Kenya.
On October 11, 2022, she announced on social media that she was leaving Mbaitu FM, a radio station under the Eastern Broadcasting Corporation broadcasting mainly in the Kamba language, having been there for more than 12 years.
Nzau is an accredited journalist with the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and has over 10 years of experience in broadcast media, specifically, radio. She worked as a dedicated reporter, and deputy News Editor before becoming an Editor for Mbaitu FM, a station she has been at from August 2009 to August 2022. She also worked for Capital Group (Capital FM) as a correspondent for the Lower Eastern region.
She was also a media consultant with several organizations where she trained journalists on election preparedness and coverage. Some of the organizations she provided consultancy work to include; the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), MCK and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Currently is a third-year PhD student at the University of Missouri in the US, growing up in a multicultural society has shaped her belief in embracing differences.
Her experiences as a journalist in Kenya have fueled her passion for amplifying diverse voices and fostering inclusive environments.
Her research areas include silence in crisis communication, issues management, culture and crisis, and intersectionality in public relations.
Her dissertation at MU aims to develop culturally sensitive crisis management approaches, leveraging silence to foster understanding, empathy, and resilience.
“By employing Intersectionality Theory, Teresia explores the relatively uncharted territory of how interconnected dimensions of identity impact crisis response strategies, contributing significantly to the field of public relations.
“Committed to diversity and inclusion, Teresia integrates these values into her teaching approach. She was honoured with the AEJMC Diversity and Inclusion Career Development Fellowship in 2023, recognizing her dedication to advancing these principles in academia and beyond,” her bio as seen by Viral Tea reads in part.
