Veteran journalist and prime-time news anchor Smriti Vidyarthi has exited Nation Media Group after an illustrious 16-and-a-half-year career at NTV.
The seasoned broadcaster announced her departure, marking the end of an era in Kenyan television journalism.
Sixteen-and-a-half years of service to the Nation Media Group and to the nation at large. Thank you for trusting me. For now, tune in tonight at 9pm for my last bulletin on NTV.
Education
She holds a BA in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Warwick (UK), and a Masters Degree in International Broadcast Journalism from City University (UK).
Smriti’s journey in media began at K24, where she worked as a Business News Anchor before making a significant move to NTV in 2008.
Over the years, she became a household name, hosting and anchoring key programmes such as NTV Weekend Edition, NTV Tonight, and NTV Wild Talk, a show dedicated to wildlife and conservation.
READ: Emotions run high during Smriti Vidyarthi's last show on NTV after 16 years
Her dedication to journalism was recognised in 2015 when she won the Media Council of Kenya’s 4th Annual Journalism Excellence Awards (AJEA) in the News Bulletin Category.
She has also moderated discussions for the International Press Institute, further cementing her reputation as a distinguished media professional.
Family background
Smriti hails from a family with deep roots in Kenya’s media and publishing industry. Her grandfather, Girdhari Vidyarthi, was a pioneer in Kenya’s journalism sector, known for launching Habari za Dunia, Kenya’s first privately owned Kiswahili newspaper, in 1935.
He played a crucial role in fighting for press freedom, often clashing with the colonial government over his radical reporting.
Her father, Anil Vidyarthi, followed in the family tradition by fearlessly publishing hard-hitting publications such as Finance, The Nairobi Law Monthly, The People, and Society during Kenya’s push for political and press freedoms in the 1990s.
In 2018, Smriti found herself the subject of jokes on The Churchill Show, which prompted her to educate Kenyans on the meaning of her name.
"'Smriti means ‘that which will be remembered’ and Vidyarthi means ‘scholar’,” she explained, urging the public to respect her name and its significance.
READ: NTV's James Smart exposes message from fired CS who reached out after 20 months
Beyond the newsroom, Smriti is a wife and mother. She married Aman Mohindra in 2009, and in 2018, the couple welcomed their first child.
READ: Mark Masai shares 2 valuable learnings after leaving NTV
