Tech journalism has become synonymous with business reporting, with funding rounds, acquisitions, and layoffs dominating the headlines. The recent news of the South African Reserve Bank's 25-basis-point cut in its main lending rate is a prime example of this trend. While business media naturally cover tech as part of the broader economy, tech media should not be stuck in this narrow frame. The consequence of this approach is that tech publications compete for the same audience of tech professionals and enthusiasts, rather than expanding their readership by exploring the intersections of technology with culture, religion, agriculture, health, and everyday life.

Technology is more than just business deals and venture capital. It is embedded in everyday life, shaping how people communicate, worship, move, and even think. The evolution of farming technology, from machetes to chainsaws, lawnmowers, and fully automated harvesting machines, brings stories of progress, user adaptation, market competition, conflict of options, and the influence of external factors on tech choices. The recent opening of a new parliamentary session by King Charles III, where he chose a horse-drawn carriage over modern automobiles, tells a tech story about the influence of tradition on innovation and the persistence of legacy technologies.

Beyond the royal carriage, there are countless everyday examples of technology's enduring intersections with culture. In Lagos, workers commute daily in age-defying Danfo buses, kept running by a hidden network of skilled mechanics. There are tech stories in the rise of YouTube churches and the digitization of religious practices. There is a tech story in the polarized nature of public discourse on social media platforms, sexual exploitation, and the real-world consequences of online misinformation. There is a tech story in the accidents caused by phone-distracted drivers and the migration of life onto smartphones.

Even in the tech business, coverage doesn't have to be dull. Patronizing updates about funding rounds and acquisitions ignore the realities of corruption, data manipulation, and employee exploitation in the industry. Reporting on startup failures should go beyond statistics to explore their human cost – how does the collapse of 70% of Nigerian startups intersect with rising mental health challenges among young people, who are mostly the founders of these businesses?

Journalists are also missing the intersection between technology and cultural shifts. Consider cancel culture, a phenomenon born out of digital connectivity. Social media is reshaping religious authority, as once-revered figures now face unprecedented scrutiny online. In today's digital age, influence is no longer measured in church pews. Abel Damina, a pastor with a modest physical following, seems to command greater online authority than some of the general overseers of Nigeria's largest mega-churches. Who's telling the stories of those caught in the wheels of this change?

Tech journalism remains largely stagnant, trapped in business reports that fail to capture the full scope of its subject. In 2023, Twitter was a political force, nearly delivering Nigeria a president in Peter Obi. But tech journalism largely ignored the story. How did social media shape the elections? How do online movements translate into real-world votes? Why didn't Obi's online dominance convert into an outright victory? These are the questions tech journalists should be asking.

A publication that covers how social media is reshaping religious authority or how technology influences cultural practices isn't just informing tech insiders; it's attracting sociologists, policymakers, religious scholars, and everyday readers who see their lives reflected in these stories. With greater reach comes greater impact. And with greater impact come the metrics that attract advertisers and investors. A tech journalist has no business being stuck in spreadsheets and press releases when there's a criminally under-explored content pool. If you're a tech journalist, your beat isn't just business; it's everything. Go and tell those stories.