ISSN: 2265-6294

CHANGING PARADIGMS IN COMMUNITY JOURNALISM: JOURNALISTS’ EXPERIENCES

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Escor Efiong Udosen, Jude Omaka Okoro, Mark C. Ononiwu, Cletus I. Anah

Abstract

Journalism practice is changing due to the use of new media tools that have created multi-media platforms for news production and distribution. These platforms – Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter – demand new approaches and skills from rural/community journalists. This study investigates how community journalists adapt in the new information age, and the constraints and prospects of community journalism in Cross River State in the midst of digital revolution. Triangulation theory of Technological Determinism and Democratic Participant Media theory are used as the theoretical framework. Census method is used with a population of 40 professional rural/community journalists drawn from Chronicle and Federated chapels of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). Questionnaire is used for data collection. Findings reveal that most community journalists in Nigeria are not highly educated and not keen on embarking on further professional training; many of them do not share their stories via the Internet; and they pay less attention to news and events about rural communities. The study recommends that local news organisations and NUJ should partner with international agencies to fund exchange programmes that promote community journalism; and government should invest in rural telephony to make Internet services accessible and affordable to community journalists and rural dwellers.

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