A Comparative Study of Conventional Journalism and Citizen Journalism Practices in Nigeria (original) (raw)
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The study sought to evaluate fake news and journalism practice in Nigeria using the views of journalists and media scholars in Plateau State. Gatekeeping theory of the media was used as theoretical framework for arguments and discourse in the work. Through purposive sampling, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted among journalists in Jos and new media scholars in the department of Mass Communication, University of Jos. Results of the study revealed that the views of journalists and media scholars on fake news were unanimous. However, while journalists were of the opinion that fake news affects journalism negatively, media scholars had mixed reactions that fake news affects journalism positively. It was also revealed that there are no standard measures by media professionals or other regulatory bodies to counter fake news which implies very little gatekeeping especially in most online news sources. The study thus recommended, among other, that offenders should be sanctioned and all registered and licensed media organizations should step up their gatekeeping roles while registration should be extended to bloggers and other independent media entrepreneurs.
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This study assessed the influence of citizen journalism on the gatekeeping role of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Channel 10, Abuja, and Guardian Newspaper. The aim is to determine the influence citizen journalism has on the gatekeeping role of the mainstream or traditional media. The study employed a qualitative research method with the interview as the instrument for eliciting data from the respondents. The study is anchored on the Gatekeeping Theory of the Media. The major findings of the study showed that the emergence of citizen journalism has broken down the gates of conventional media. Therefore, traditional media no longer hold the monopoly of deciding what information is released to society. The main tools of citizen journalism include smartphones, digital cameras, and the Internet which enable them to source for and disseminate any information of their choice directly to society. Further findings revealed that despite the challenges that citizen journalism poses to the gatekeeping functions of the conventional media, the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Channel 10 and Guardian Newspaper still maintain their relevance as they remain the authentic sources for verifying information disseminated by citizen journalists, among others. Based on the findings, the study concludes that with the emergence of citizen journalism the mainstream media are no longer the sole gatekeepers or purveyors of information in society. The study recommends, among others, that citizen journalists should undergo training in the basic skills and ethics of the journalism profession.
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The rate at which fake news thrive in the social media landscape around the world has attracted media scholars attention in different ways given the threat and dangers it poses to the peaceful development of every human society. In view of the above reason, this study is set to provide critical digital measure that can help the government of Nigeria in the control of fake news spread in its territory considering the heterogeneous nature of the country. The study is set to find out if there is any noticeable influence of fake news on the existence of the Nigerian state, the dominant noticeable dangers of fake news, and the various available digital measures that can control it and to provide a sound record keeping digital regulation to identify all individual social media users. The study is premised on the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior and the source credibility theory. The study adopts the online survey research method in studying 253 media scholars - all members o...
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The study evaluated the impacts of social media on modern journalism and discovered that social media is emerging as a powerful phenomenon across Nigeria as showcased by popular citizen journalism websites. The Sahara Reporters, one of such websites, is noted for its timely reports on issues and events as evidenced in a study conducted by Dare (2011, p.44) where 86 of the 120 respondents surveyed cited the Sahara reporters as a source of breaking news. By its interactivity and ability to deliver news in split seconds, social media have posed a serious challenge to the modern journalism in Nigeria. In congruency with the Democratic Participant Media Theory and the Public Sphere model, the researcher came to the reasoned conclusion that in this modern age, the social media have emerged as alternative news sources, since audiences now depend on them largely in meeting their information needs. In as much as social media in Nigeria has broadened people's access to a variety of news, this study suggests that a proper synergy between the modern journalism and social media is recommended to ascertain the best way(s) forward, for effective and efficient journalism practices in the country which will suit the modern age. The need therefore to sensitize Nigerian citizen journalists on proper use of this emerging brand of journalism is obvious. Among other things, it was recommended that operators of social media should endeavour to observe the core ethics of conventional journalism, that is, accuracy and objectivity in their news dissemination responsibilities.
For many years, Western media theories and journalism practices have been the hallmark of the journalism profession in Africa. However, the globalised nature of our world which has become interconnected and interdependent, spawned by increasing technological changes, underlines the importance of analysing journalism practices and new media in Nigeria from a global perspective. Theories of the present global media ecology have therefore, become unsustainable and unsatisfactory (Cottle, 2009). Globalisation opens up the opportunity to study journalism practice and culture as a hybrid (McMillin, 2007), hence the need for a definition of journalism that can reflect and accommodate the global political differences and culture (Wasserman and de Beer, 2009). Research in journalism studies around the world consistently highlights the existence of similarities and differences across cultures which signify the natural diversities in our world. Previous studies on journalism ethics and routines, including editorial conventions in the United States, Europe and Africa show similarities (Hanitzsch, 2009, 413), while other studies have also shown that there are differences in the way journalists from various countries sees their roles when making news judgements in their professional callings (Hanusch, 2008a). Drawing from educational, cultural, social, economic and political factors that distinguish journalistic practices in various societies and cultures, this paper will employ Sociology of news and technological determinism theories, as conceptualised by different scholars. A number of issues have thus remained underexplored. For one, can we assume there is anything like ‘African journalism’? How do Nigerian journalists perceive their roles in digital cultures? This study examines the issue of journalistic ethics and culture in Nigeria by exploring the issue of freedom of the press, independence, impartiality, fair play, decency, accuracy, journalism education and responsibility in the age of the internet. To this end, a descriptive survey and in-depth interviews with reporters and editors is explored.
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The Nigerian media space is flooded with fake news, which has become the bane of digital journalism in today’s world. This is occasioned by the emergence of online media platforms and news blogs in Nigeria that appears to have created a situation where everyone can lay claim to being a ‘digital journalist’ and spreads news stories that get circulated instantaneously whether factual or not. This study uses case analysis, and historicocritical methods to examine purposively selected fake news cases disseminated on social media that concern socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural themes about Nigerians or Nigeria posted between 2017 and 2021. We found that fake news is rife in Nigeria and is increasingly becoming a sub-culture among the people. The article recommends a reorientation of Nigerians to do more critical thinking and to improve their digital media literacy in order not to fall prey to purveyors of fake news.
New Media and the Proliferation of Fake News in Nigeria
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The emergence of new media technologies brought about the transformation of society in virtually all aspects of national life. It has collapsed time and distance barrier in communication and thereby democratising information communication apparatus. The increasing use of new media has raised concerns in several quarters on its implications to heighten the spread of fake news in society. The study utilises library research technique to gather data for the study while Inoculations theory and Conspiracy theory were the theoretical framework that guided the study. The paper argues that the proliferation of new media technologies has led to the dissemination of fake news in Nigeria. The study finds that new media technologies was being used to spread fake news and misinformation in key critical areas like political communication, war against insurgency, and the promotion of ethnic sentiments among Nigerians. The study recommends that government and tech companies educate the people on the mechanism of facts checking so that they can identify false and misleading information.
Social Media and Journalism Ethics in Nigeria: A Study of Journalists in Kwara State of Nigeria
International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 2021
Journalism is a term that has been used to describe the act of gathering and reporting news, either through the print media which includes newspaper, magazine or through the broadcast media to mention television, radio broadcasting system and recently journalism has been extended throughout the world through unrestricted use of social media, whereby the act of gathering and disseminating of news is done without restraint. Conversely, one important thing to note about journalism is the ethics that enhance the profession, its notes worthy to know that any information that is disseminated via any media should be ethically standard. The new media has on a large scale given the opportunity to a whole large number of people to practice journalism without them knowing the ethics that guide the profession, which is affecting the dynamics of the profession. Therefore this study is based on assessing the impact of a new communication system on journalism; whether social media promote the ethi...
Social Media, Citizen Journalism and the Challenge of Governance in Nigeria
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One intriguing development about the growth of social media is that they have broadened the scope of airing both local and national news particularly about government activities the world over. A succinct observation about the Nigerian media landscape also reveals that they have seemingly supplanted the traditional modes-the newspaper outlets, and radio and television stations-of reporting customarily known for their limitations concerning fair and transparent reporting of sensitive national issues, thus undermining effective feedback from the citizenry. This has consequently generated some misgivings among citizens especially at a time online citizen journalistic practices-the participation of individual citizens through self-reporting of socio-political happenings in their localities-are highly spurred by social media platforms thereby encouraging individual's virtual interactions on public matters. The thrust of the paper is to explore the role of citizen journalism in self reporting of news in their localities, the nature and style of this model of journalism and effect of their reporting. Five (5) citizen journalist reports on different national issues were purposively selected from weblogs/sites. Inter-discipline frameworks-linguistic theory and democratic participation approach-were adopted for the analysis of the data. From findings, one obvious discovery is that citizen journalists do more than conventional journalists would do; while reporting, their activities straddle accusatorial and advisory roles; also, social media have proven to be platforms wherein government activities carried out in the secret are brought to the open. Therefore, the challenge of governance thus lies in government and its agencies being able to consistently open to not only transparent but also constructive criticisms from citizens and civil society organisations via these virtual platforms.