However, reaching out to a mass readership did not mean that journalistic standards were compromised. Readers noticed the difference in style and content, and the Nation emerged as the most popular daily in Kenya. The paper was soon to be edited and managed by African staff.

True to its mission of helping the newly independent country discover its civic voice, it also employed many African journalists. Unlike the broadsheet size of its main competitor, the East African Standard, the Nation adopted a smaller size which made it easier to handle. Its stories were presented in accessible writing and its format allowed for easy navigation through the contents. While not neglecting international news, it brought national reporting to the fore. There were some very definite innovations that the Nation introduced into Kenya's mainstream English language press. The newspaper business in Kenya at that time was dominated by the colonial press, which did not represent the interests and aspirations of the local people.

Speaking in 2005 at the opening of the International Press Institute World Congress that was held in Kenya, Hazar Imam noted that, вЂњAt that time, many African nations had freshly emerged from colonial rule, and I believed that good journalism could play a critical role in their development.вЂќ He had strong support from young African politicians in the pursuit of this objective. Stan Denman, Managing Director of Nation Printers and Publishers (now NMG), with Mawlana Hazar Imam and Vin Duncan, Production Manager of Nation Newspapers in 1981.

Sunday daily nation newspaper