The changing face of journalism in the world: How ready are we as a nation? By Isah Abdulazeez

 Social media has literarily put serious pressure on the conventional media. Since the advent of social media, the phrase “breaking news” has literarily disappeared from the conventional media.

Social media emergence has birthed the concept of citizen journalism otherwise known as street journalism. This emerging type of journalism has literarily turned the audience who hitherto were content receivers to content creators. The advent of citizen journalism has broadened the competition in the media industry. Before now, the competition of who “breaks” the news first was between the conventional media but today, private individuals, bloggers, and independent journalists have joined this competition.

For instance, the death of the Nigerian Chief of Army staff, Lt Gen Ibrahim Atairu was first reported on social media before the conventional media began to report it. In fact, it will not be out of place if it is stated that it is the social media that now give leading to conventional media about breaking news.

Journalism obviously is wearing a new look and taking a new shape. Adapting to the new trend that is shaping journalism, traditional media have begun to register their presence online. Major news outlets in Nigeria and the world over have begun to launch their own social and new media platforms to continue to make themselves relevant.

With these new development in the media, it is clear that the future of the media especially in this era of digital convergence lies in the internet. But as a people, how ready are we? What is the level of internet penetration in the Nigerian society?

The above questions are pertinent questions that must be addressed if computer mediated communication and artificial intelligence which are taking over the media space are to be fully registered in Nigeria.

One of the challenges that is identified with these new media platforms is their abilities to be used to peddle and spread fake news. Because of little or no regulations, social media platforms present a fertile ground for planting and reaping fake news in Nigeria and the world at large.

The implication of the above is that ethnic profiling, insecurity, heating up of the polity, disunity become paramount in the nation. In fact, social media are now potent platform for the spread of propaganda, misinforming, disinforming and malinforming the unsuspecting audience members.  These are major characteristics of the Nigerian society as it is currently constituted.

The above is what has made the conventional media to continue to remain relevant. Because of the prevalence of fake news, propaganda, misinformation, disinformation and malinformion on social media, audience members always resort to the conventional media for confirmation. It can be conclusively said that in the business of information dissemination today, the conventional and new media complement each other.