Perception of Credibility of Social Media Sources of News among Journalists in Nigeria (original) (raw)
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ABSTRACT This research work examines the perception of the Audience on the Credibility of Social Media Platforms as source of Breaking News Stories in Nigeria. It argues that the internet is a strong communication avenue in this age of digital communication which allows for an instantaneous posting of news messages online. It maintains that the internet cum social media gives room for journalists and citizen journalists (Freelancers) to write as much as possible and meet yearnings of people. The study aims at finding out whether online versions of breaking news stories in Nigeria are credible and acceptable by the audience who consumes such media contents. In order to drive home the argument of the study, the researcher adopted media effects called “medium is the message” as the theoretical framework for the study. Using survey method, the researchers sampled the opinions of respondents; it was however revealed that there were lots of negative trends associated with the online news medium which was not healthy for the corporate existence of the nation and journalism practice in particular. Base on the findings, the researchers recommend that scholars and professionals in the sector should re-examine the whole essence of social media for optimal result in communication. Keywords: Audience, Perception, Social Media, Internet, Credibility, Breaking News, Freelancers.
IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MODERN JOURNALISM. STUDY OF ABAKALIKI AND ENUGU METROPOLIS
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.
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...
A Discourse on the Use of Social Media by Journalists in Nigeria
Developing Country Studies, 2015
The social media, which is the product of new media technology, has incontrovertibly charted new frontiers for conventional journalists. Practitioners in most developed countries of the world now rely heavily on the social media to generate contents. Expectedly, the concept of collaborative journalism has emerged. Emphasis has shifted from mere social interactions among folks to more sophisticated collaboration. While there this is wide spread practice in the developed societies, available statistics indicate that journalists in Africa are still grasping to acquire the needed knowledge to utilize social media platforms. Thus, this study amongst other things is aimed at assessing the use of social media by journalists in Nigeria and how such usage affects the performance of their duties. The research design used was survey; purposive sampling technique was used in studying 399 registered journalists in South East Nigeria. The findings of this study indicated that Nigerian journalists...
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.
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM
Research, 2020
The study examined the influence of social media in the practice of journalism among the broadcast journalists in Ibadan. It assessed the role of social media in the practice of Journalism. The study relied on the Technological Determinism and Diffusion of innovations theories and survey was adopted as research method. A total number of 92 journalists were sampled for the research. The study found that 100% of the broadcast journalists are exposed to social networking sites. Also, the study discovered 81% of the respondents asserted that social media enhanced their productivity. The study recommends that journalists should carry out research on the available social media tools in order to identify reliable and trustworthy social networking sites and to be utilized by them to discharge their journalistic duties.
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies
In July 2016, the budget padding scandal hit the Nigerian airwaves. Abdulmumin Jibrin had accused Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and House of Rep officers of trying to appropriate N40 Billion Naira through padding. Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin, Former Chairman of House Appropriations Committee and member, representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Kano State, made these allegations against the House of Representatives and its leaders, through his Twitter handle and more recently using his email and even Facebook accounts. The media war started after Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, announced the sack of Jibrin as the chairman, house committee on appropriation on Wednesday 20 th July. Jibrin was immediately replaced with Mustapha Dawaki Bala and Jibrin, in reaction, took to his Twitter page to make the wild allegations the next day and had since continued to use the social media for right to reply to post his own version of the story. The budget padding scandal cited above that erupted recently in the country is illustrative of one of the different ways the new media have influenced how news is gathered and reported in Nigeria and many other countries. Before the advent of the new media a reporter was given a lead or went out to find a story. Today many stories are received third hand through Facebook accounts, Twitter, Digs or Instagram, so that by the time a story is assigned to the reporter the story in some form or another is already out there in the social media. As these changes occur they continue to generate debates on the extent of effects on journalism practice in three key areas: nature of journalists; nature of news gathering and the way news is disseminated (Veglisetal,2005; Hermans ,2009; Fenton, 2010; Olakitan, 2012). Prevalent discourses on the issue, seem polarized as to the extent of effect of the new media on media practice, audience preference and audience use. And tend to often generalize these effects, muffling the differences arising from regional specificities from divergent cultures. It is
2016
The role of journalists, and journalism has progressed into a more digitalized journalism. Social Networking Sites (SNSs) allow people to take part in online activities and remove the barrier for online users to publish and share information at any place at any time. This article intends to show that credibility of social media is a key factor that enhance public engagement and communication effectiveness in the digital/social media, and the factors that could affect the credibility of news from SNSs. Based on the literature review, this article reviews journalists’ awareness of SNSs; an understanding of what constitute ‘news credibility’ is pursued; and finally, this article compares SNSs news credibility to traditional media; and journalists’ dependence on SNSs for news content. The review suggested various factors affect the credibility of news from the new media, which is linked to journalism work. These include: the interactive media, technology acceptance, quality of news’ sou...
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.
A Comparative Study of Conventional Journalism and Citizen Journalism Practices in Nigeria
Adeleke University Journal of Business and Social Sciences (AUJBSS) , 2023
Advancements in new forms of information and communications technologies have continued to transform content, nature, and style of writing for the media. This study examines conventional and citizen journalism practices using a comparative analysis. The objective of the study was to do a comparative analysis of conventional and citizen journalism practices and to examine the extent of usage of gate-keeping by both conventional and citizen journalists regarding fake news dissemination. The theoretical underpinnings of this study are the Technological Determinism Theory and the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM). The study adopts the comparative research design. Information was sourced from secondary sources. Based on observation and relevant information gathered from secondary sources of data, the study concludes that new information and communications technology have shaped the media ecology or environment in innumerable ways. These dynamics have introduced a new concept known as "citizen journalism"-a new form of journalism. This new form of journalism is distinct from the highly guided and rule-based conventional journalism and due to lack of gate-keeping and code of ethics is inveigled with fake news and misinformation. The study, therefore, recommends that government should develop a functional regulatory framework to regulate the social media platform to ensure sanity in the digital media landscape as the media functions not in isolation but functions within the framework of a given society.