KEY POINTS
- Social media delivers news faster but spreads misinformation quickly.
- Citizen journalists are exposing corruption and shaping public opinion.
- Fake news on social media is challenging journalism’s credibility.
News collection with reporting and news consumption in Nigeria experienced substantial changes through the introduction of social media platforms. Journalists together with media organizations and their audience rely heavily on Twitter in addition to Facebook Instagram and WhatsApp as their primary operational tools. Nigeria’s media sector which used to operate under newspaper-based and TV and radio organizations is currently managed through digital interactions leading to rapid updates and involving the public to drive the news cycle.
1. Velocity and immediate news updates
News dissemination has become faster through the power of social media. Before the present era people obtained news about events through newspapers alongside radio along with television broadcasts. Social media platforms including Twitter and WhatsApp allow immediate transmission of breaking news in the present era. The #EndSARS demonstrations displayed rapid sharing when videos and on-the-spot reports from protesters moved throughout social media platforms ahead of professional media outlets covering the protests. Social media users provide faster coverage of election results and security issues alongside documentation of wrongdoing better than official governmental sources. Rapid information spread allows Nigerians to stay updated about events while making them more susceptible to unverified misinformation in the process.
2. Emergence of citizen journalism
Regular Nigerians can act as news reporters through the trend of social media. People can distribute real-time events through their smartphones while maintaining internet connection. Public officials and law enforcement personnel now face heightened responsibility because people upload video footage right after it occurs. The success of social movements represented by #BringBackOurGirls and #EndSARS became possible due to ordinary citizens who captured abuse footage while creating a nationwide and global consciousness. Significant media organizations today use public social media content to validate and enrich their created stories. The rise of citizen journalism brings forth two major issues because unverifiable and unbalanced content sometimes causes confusion among the general population.
3. Decline of traditional media and transition to digital journalism
Social media has brought substantial change to conventional journalism practice in Nigeria. Traditional print newspapers used to be the main source of information yet they encounter growing obstacles since more readers choose digital news platforms. The digital evolution has forced traditional Nigerian publications The Punch and Vanguard to concentrate more on their online presence to stay viable. The platforms of YouTube Twitter and Instagram are presently used by Channels TV and Arise News to attract more audience engagement. The digital transformation has produced two independent online news operations called TheCable and Pulse Nigeria. Digital journalism has expanded information availability yet it poses a challenge for traditional media because their print advertisement revenue continues declining.
4. Enhanced audience engagement and interaction
Structures from traditional unilateral journalism have changed because social media enables active participation between viewers and journalists and media organizations and politicians. The movement to social media has made Nigerian journalism more open to public involvement. David Hundeyin alongside FIJ Nigeria and other investigative journalists connect with their audience base using Twitter and multiple platforms through discussions and question-and-answer segments and polling options. Media organizations bring social media discussions into their broadcast programming which allows viewers to join discussions about government affairs and social and political matters. Nigerians fulfill their role as fact-checkers by monitoring journalists to maintain the accuracy of the news reporting. Online harassment of journalists becomes more prevalent because of the enhanced contact they experience when reporting on contentious subjects related to corruption and human rights violations.
5. Dissemination of false information and misinformation
One significant challenge social media presents to journalism practice in Nigeria exists through the immediate fast distribution of false content. Before refutation takes place fabricated news reports and edited video clips along with false headlines manage to achieve widespread dissemination. Social media spreads deceptive information most acutely during elections since false statements about candidates as well as security matters and false claims of vote tampering shape how voters perceive events and impact their behavior toward elections. During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic people shared false information about fake cures along with conspiracy theories which made official health guidelines harder to accept. The battle against misinforming content depends on fact-checkers including Dubawa and Africa Check who verify popular claims before educating Nigerians about media literacy. The social media platforms Twitter and Facebook use fact-checking tools to detect fraudulent content on their platforms. Misinformation continues as a fundamental challenge in Nigerian society because many people use WhatsApp message forwards as their main way to receive information.
Conclusion
The advent of social media has triggered a complete alteration of journalism practices in Nigeria. Page delivery and citizen participation and audience interaction have advanced through technology but this advancement created two major problems: a collapse in traditional mass media and an explosion of false information spread. The optimal use of social media requires journalists and media consumers to develop digital competence as well as factual verification ahead of distribution and ethical media practice execution. Social media evolution will soon change the way Nigerian journalism operates which requires news professionals to transition their skills to digital platforms.
