INFLUENCE OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM ON FAKE NEWS IN NIGERIA

INFLUENCE OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM ON FAKE NEWS IN NIGERIA

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 Background to the Study

Technological advancement in contemporary society of the 21stcentury heralded the arrival of information and communication technologies (ICT) that has enhanced the existing communication process and the entire material in which individual interact with the world. The ICTS expanded the frontier of communication channels referred to as new media have given birth to “citizen journalism”. These ICT driven communication channels include online information services, cable television, the internet and World Wide Web, among others. The new media have expanded the horizon of communication and made the world smaller and communication process more rapid.

Journalism is a vital part of mass communication that involves the gathering, collection and dissemination of news. Journalism is one social institution that requires freedom to effectively function in society.  Journalism plays a crucial role to society, serving as the watchdog of the society, and providing constant stream of information, education and socialization. Soeze (2015) elucidates that the media as the watchdog of the society have the responsibility of keeping the public informed, educated and socialized. This involves making people know the day-to-day activities and dealings of those in government whether military or civilian. In addition, the media also help to ensure that the government knows the feelings and yearnings of those it governs.

Journalism sets agenda, organizes public debates and discussions, and interprets issues to put them in proper perspectives to make meaning to people. Through these roles, journalism not only educate, inform and socialize; it also confers status, values and significance to issues, thereby serving as the mouth-piece and defender of the voiceless and the oppressed in society (Sambe, 2018). The journalistic task of gathering and disseminating news has not been an easy one largely due to limited freedom occasioned largely by government firm grip and control of the mass media. Thus, Bowman,(2016) notes that “relationship between the mass media and the government in Nigeria has been a cat and mouse affair”. This implies that, the free flow of information has been trampled upon. Journalists have had no access to vital information let alone the masses. In struggling to get detailed, factual and balanced reportage, journalists have had to continue to nose around for information, exposing themselves to high levels of risk that got them victimized,  jailed, tortured and sometimes killed (Caroll, 2017)

Citizen journalism is simply the process by which the public takes the responsibility of collecting, disseminating and analysing information or news especially via the internet. Citizen journalism has been on a rise. ‘Everyone and anyone can be or better still, is a journalist’. Nevertheless, Citizen Journalism has definitely also helped in putting our leaders on their toes and enabling us to have ‘eyes everywhere’. Citizen journalism is the reverse of the straight-jacket, near unilateral top-down communication system of the mainstream media. Bowman and Willis (2016) state that, “Participatory journalism is a bottom-up, emergent phenomenon in which there is little or no editorial oversight or formal journalistic workflow dictating the decisions of a staff. Instead, it is the result of many simultaneous, distributed conversations that either blossom or quickly atrophy in the Web’s social network.” They observe that “the fluidity of this approach puts more emphasis on the publishing of information rather than the filtering. Conversations happen in the community for all to see. In contrast, traditional news organizations are set up to filter information before they publish it.” In its true nature, citizen journalism allows no room for gate keeping. In this brand of journalism, information gets to the members of public, who are directly involved in content creation, raw, ‘naked’ and undiluted.

Citizen journalism is fast becoming a potent force to be reckoned with in relations to building open and democratic societies. The emergence of new media technology and their integration in the field of politics is yielding some benefits in contemporary times. According to Educause Learning Initiative (2017) the term citizen journalism is a broad term and still shifting in meaning. Banda (2020) notes that citizen journalism is a rapidly evolving form of journalism where common citizens take the initiative to report news or express views about happenings within their community. He further observes that it is news of the people, by the people and for the people. Citizen journalism is therefore a people centered type of journalism where the interests of the ordinary people are taken into consideration.  Citizen journalism is also known as “public”, “participatory”, “democratic”, “guerilla “or “street journalism” is the concept of members of the public playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information. Quoting Darnton(2017) they further opined that citizen journalism emerged as a result of democratization of the multi-media technologies by the people and for the people.

 World news these days does not only hold its relevance to traditional newspapers or news channels but has been spread widely through the growing dominance of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn. The verification of information or news shared via these platforms has been neglected hence an increase in false information has grown drastically via this medium of communication and interaction.  Fake news has become an alarming issue in our day and age. Fake news is simply the deliberate misrepresentation of information or the complete falsification of information spread to the public. “Fake News has reached an epidemic proportion and social media, particularly,

Facebook, appear to be the most efficient purveyors” (Foluso 2018). Giving credence to the report by BBC that fake news has aggravated the farmer-Fulani herdsmen conflict in Nigeria, attention here is drawn to the bloody picture of a dead five-year-old school boy with wide matchet cuts all over his head and neck, claimed to have been a victim of the Fulani herdsmen attack in Ogun State. As it circulated with several sympathetic comments causing traffic on the social media, particularly as he was supposed to have been gruesomely murdered, another report emerged that he was actually killed by a mad man, not the herdsmen. Fake news is necessary for forecasting revenue and post-truth politics for media outlets because they spend much time commenting on its components, thereby attracting viewers to their websites, a great ploy to broaden participation, viewership, and discourse and generate broadcast and online advertising revenue, (Hunt, 2016; Woolf, 2016).

Fake news has caused problems with people being killed due to political hostility which promotes the degrading and shaming of political members. Cross Check Nigeria which is a platform that cross-checks if each news, photo or video is authentic recently discredited allegations that Nigeria‟s first lady wanted fellow Nigeria‟s to vote against her husband the President. Also, allegations that President Trump was supporting the opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar which was also discredited. Nigeria‟s election has always caused political turmoil, but its current election is mostly promoted through a WhatsApp wave which allows stories, messages, videos to be shared among people.

Citizen journalism has been recognized as a powerful force in  Nigeria, however not many studies have been conducted on the subject in the country. Even though some studies with regard to role and status of citizen journalism in media have been carried on in the recent past, there was a scope for analysing the nature and frequency of updates on citizen journalism sites. The current study has proved useful in that regard. By analysing the nature and frequency of the updates, the study helps to ascertain consistency, and seriousness of citizen journalism news portals in promoting participation of common masses in journalistic activities. It also helps to discuss the emerging and evolving dimension of citizen journalism. The research examines the influence of citizen journalism on fake news in Nigeria.

Statement of Problem                         

The study will examine the challenges of fake news, as regards to citizen journalism, it is pertinent to note that, most private individuals who are citizens journalists, did not go through the basic levels of attaining a degree in journalism, that is, core journalistic skills, including researching, investigating, interviewing, reporting and writing, which a professional journalism should undergo, in disseminating news.

Due to look of professionalism which most citizens journalist, do not attain, has led to rise of fake news, in disseminating information through social media platforms, as they fail to consider the ethics of the profession in journalism the sense of social responsibility and there strait that trained journalists normally exhibit. Therefore, citizen journalists are not trained to subscribe to the traditional journalistic standards of objectivity, fairness, and accuracy found in disseminating news this has led to the high rate of fake news in citizen journalism.

Most importantly, due to the widespread of internet globally and the rate of unemployment in Nigeria, most individuals who are citizens journalists, at comfortable of their home, disseminate news and information, which could be true/false, but are mostly “fake news” without undergoing any training in the professionalism of journalism. Therefore, this research work seeks to ascertain the Citizen Journalism and Fake News Challenges in Nigeria.

Objective of the study

The purpose of this study is to examine influence of citizen journalism on fake news in Nigeria. The specific objectives is as follows:

1. To examine whether professional journalists regard the impact of citizen journalism on mainstream journalism and their work.
2. To find out the rate of the spread of fake news among Nigerians on both social and conventional media.
3. To assess the perception of media audience on fake news and abuse of freedom of expression
4. Find out which social media networks is mostly used by citizen for the purpose pf journalism in Nigeria.
5. Find out the challenges of citizen journalism in Nigeria

Research questions

The following questions have been prepared for this study

1. Does professional journalists regard the impact of citizen journalism on mainstream journalism and their work?
2. What is the rate of the spread of fake news among Nigerians on both social and conventional media?
3. What is the perception of media audience on fake news and abuse of freedom of expression?
4. which social media networks is mostly used by citizen for the purpose pf journalism in Nigeria?
5. What are the challenges of citizen journalism in Nigeria?

Research Hypothesis

The following hypothesis have been formulated for the study:

H0: professional journalists does not regard the impact of citizen journalism on mainstream journalism and their work.

HA: professional journalists does have regard the impact of citizen journalism on mainstream journalism and their work.

Significance of the Study

This study will be of benefits and interest not only to journalist in Nigeria, but it will be valuable to other service sectors in Nigeria as a whole. The study will be of great benefit to the researchers, journalists and the entire Nigeria to embrace the law in order to encourage professionalism and the ethnics of journalism.  The outcome of this study will alert government, civil society organisations (CSOs) and all other pro-democratic groups on the need to enact strategies and mechanism for combating fake news in order to ensure quality journalism and a responsible expression by all.

Academically, this research work will therefore advance knowledge. The academic community will use this work as a reference point and in the execution of similar studies. Again, journalists, editors, specialized groups, society, government etc. stand to gain immensely from the study. For the journalists, it provides them an ample opportunity to press for national development and enthronement of transparency in government. The government, through this study could harness the latent potency of the law as educated in it towards providing quality service to its citizens. In the same vein, the study is significant as it provide a platform for government press collaboration which if harnessed, can facilitate national development.

The result of the study will also provide a framework for media practitioners that will enable them exercise a good information sharing behaviour basically for the fact that the success of every democracy rest on the media. It will also provide an insight for them to understand the effect of fake news on the democracy of the country. Furthermore, the outcome of the study will make available ready materials for policymakers towards censoring falsehood in both new and conventional media industry so that citizens can express their opinions responsibly for the greater good of democracy.

Scope of the study

The study examine whether professional journalists regard the impact of citizen journalism on mainstream journalism and their work. The study also find out the rate of the spread of fake news among Nigerians on both social and conventional media. The study further assess the perception of media audience on fake news and abuse of freedom of expression. More so, the study find out which social media networks is mostly used by citizen for the purpose pf journalism in Nigeria. Lastly, the study find out the challenges of citizen journalism in Nigeria.

Limitations Of The Study

Financial constraint

Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint

The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

Operational Definition of Terms

Citizen journalism: is simply the process by which the public takes the responsibility of collecting, disseminating and analysing information or news especially via the internet.

Journalism: this study sees journalism as the work of collecting and writing news stories for newspapers, magazine, radio, television and the internet.

Fake news:  is untrue information presented as news. It often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.

 

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