INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA
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INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA
Abstract
This research focuses on the impact of digital technology on the practice of journalism in Nigeria. The study’s entire population consists of 200 employees from chosen print media outlets in Lagos State. The researcher employed questionnaires to collect data.
Descriptive A survey research design was used for this investigation. The study used 133 respondents, including managers, editors, news journalists, and junior personnel. The acquired data were displayed in tables and analysed with simple percentages and frequencies.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study.
The Internet has transformed the entire system of journalism practice in Nigeria. The information revolution affects both print and broadcast media to some extent. The media industry relies on information as both its primary input and final output. It gathers raw data and organises it into categorised, specified, and valuable pieces of information.
As a result, it is not an exaggeration to argue that the drastic changes brought about by the Internet revolution will have a greater impact on the newspaper industry than any other.
The newspaper industry is adopting and absorbing the Internet by increasing efficiencies in all functional wings, including newsgathering, production, editorial, and marketing, in order to achieve a competitive advantage (Indo American Print Summit 2008:153).
In Nigeria, the internet is currently being used by reporters and editors as well as the press. Its benefits are recognised throughout the Journalism Practice supply chain. The Internet has had a significant impact on every element of the Nigerian newspaper industry, including the product, the manufacturing process, marketing, and distribution.
According to Chris (2001:7), technological advancement and adoption in the newspaper industry improved the printing process and shortened the operating time of editorial desks. Because of the widespread usage of online material and services, the many-to-many model has surpassed the one-to-many model in information collection.
The individual or department responsible with the collection of information and news (Journalist) may acquire information at their own or others’ convenience.
The wide range of editing, page-making, database, photo imaging, and mixing software brought cutting-edge tools to the newspaper industry, allowing it to streamline and combine intra-wing tasks within the newspaper.
The usage of telefax, websites, online databases, web-based information sites, and online readers and newsmakers has made the difficult task of information collection and reporting easier than before.
Emails, personal blogs, and online discussion forums have expanded the scope of information by allowing news from even the most remote regions to be preserved within deadlines. Information technology made an impact on all aspects of the news. It not only affected the operation of newspapers and other departments, but it also gave rise to a new avatar, the e paper.
The limitations of print versions, reach and accessibility, and the cost of newsprint, along with the unfathomable vista of the Internet, prompted Nigerian newspaper publishers to develop electronic versions of editions. Thus, the Internet made newspapers available at any time and from any location with the touch of a mouse.
However, e-paper is not a substitute for print, but rather a supplement to it. There has been a dramatic transition from the days when reporters would file reports that had to be approved and checked by a team of sub-editors, followed by final story checking by the editor himself/herself and even an army of experienced proofreaders.
Currently, reports are filed online or on a local area network, read, cross-checked, and amended electronically, saving both time and money. People from all walks of life required assistance in understanding their surroundings, which is why mass media arose.
Throughout history, newspapers have excelled at gathering, recording, and disseminating information at various levels and geographic locations. Newspapers must reaffirm their mission as they adapt in response to technological advancements.
In fact, determining what constitutes news is more important than ever. And the ability to do so within the context of new technology is critical to newspapers’ survival. In a recent New York Times Magazine column, veteran journalist Frankel (2005:38)
predicts that the newspapers that thrive in the next century will be those that provide the best journalism, master the subjects on which they write, and develop the talent and expertise to appraise and explain an infinite variety of events.
Newspapers can rely on the growing computer sector to create the technologies that will eventually replace their presses and delivery trucks. To survive in the digital age, they will require talented editors,
writers, and visual painters who can discover meaning in the looming information overload. Today, the introduction of modern commercial printing machines has
The newspaper industry is now able to print copies with well-defined properties, capable of producing high precision graphic prints, as well as other direct mail printing services. Modern digital printing machines print 30,000 or more copies per hour, compared to 3000 to 4000 copies per hour published by traditional printing presses.
According to Tony (2004:4), the use of digital inkjet proofing and colour management has allowed newspapers to generate output from distributed printing facilities while minimising the potential of colour loss and poor print quality.
The emergence of insertion and distribution technologies, which enable newspapers customise and manufacture targeted products, has boosted decentralised printing distribution even further.
Previously, traditional newspapers could only communicate stories through text and photos, but with the emergence of new media technologies, journalists can now tell stories through numerous channels. This boosts the story’s credibility. It also allows users (readers) to take an active role in the development of knowledge.
In other words, it transforms users from passive recipients of information into active participants in information generation. According to the medium strengths and weaknesses barometer above, internet news services are more versatile and adaptable than other traditional forms of news media (Craig, 2005:13).
This is especially true because internet services integrate all of the features available in traditional news media. It is also because online news services may provide a triple play (video, text, and audio), but traditional news media outlets can only supply one.
STATEENT OF THE PROBLEM
The use of manual processes in journalism has long been a source of concern for the newspaper industry. Manual newspaper production procedures, not only in Nigeria but around the world, take longer and require more workers than contemporary processes, yet create less copies.
This time-consuming process has an impact on the industry’s financial base because it requires more personnel and time to create fewer copies, which frequently fail to fulfil both deadlines and demand. The reliance on manual production also resulted in tiresome duties for reporters, correspondents, editors, copywriters, and the distribution department.
This research endeavour aims to solve these and other challenges. The use of the Internet has changed the manual production process. Technology advancement and adoption in the newspaper industry have enhanced the printing process and reduced the operating time of the editorial desk.
The journalist, correspondent, or editorial department responsible with the collection of information and news (Journalist) might obtain information while in the office with minimal trouble thanks to current technology.
Though modern technology has added certain costs, it has also provided benefits in exchange. Portable computers allow reporters working away from the main office to deliver stories quickly, simply, and reliably via modem, rather than transferring them to a typewriter or a rewrite desk as in manual production.
Most journalists, particularly freelancers, benefit from the opportunity to submit stories and contact with editors online, since they formerly delivered their finished work by hand. They can now work for publications remote from the office without worrying about the time and cost of completing tasks.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The study’s aims are:
To understand the contribution of the internet to journalism practice in Nigeria.
To determine how effective the use of the Internet has been in Nigerian newspapering.
To identify the challenges related with the use of the Internet in journalism practice in Nigeria.
To determine how the Internet has affected manual production in Nigeria’s newspaper business.
To determine how newspaper organisations have used the Internet to boost newspaper development in Nigeria.
Research Hypotheses
Ho: The internet makes no contribution to journalism practice in Nigeria.
Hello: The Internet contributes to journalism practice in Nigeria.
Ho: There are no issues with the use of the Internet in journalism practice in Nigeria.
Hi. There are issues with the use of the Internet in journalism practice in Nigeria.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study demonstrates how the Internet has enhanced the transmission of news, research, and news gathering methods in the newspaper industry.
The study is significant because it helps to understand how the daily reality of the Internet influences the Journalism Practice process. Journalists now have the opportunity to truly understand and communicate with their audience, which goes far beyond typical letters to the editor.
It is also crucial because it can be used as a reference for those looking for further information on this research topic and other connected topics.
This research will also contribute to the current literature on the role of internet newspapers in journalism practice.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study’s scope includes the impact of digital technologies on journalism practices in Nigeria. These limits include, but are not limited to the following:
a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The researcher has insufficient research material, which limits the investigation.
b) TIME: The study’s time frame does not allow for broader coverage because the researcher must balance other academic activities and examinations with the study.
1.7 Definition of Terms
Internet:
According to Chowdhury (2000, p.23), the Internet includes technology capable of processing many types of information (voice, video, audio, text, and data) and facilitating various forms of communication among human agents, people and information systems, and information systems themselves.
They deal with capturing, storing, processing, sharing, displaying, protecting, and managing information. Duncombe and Heeks (1999, p.128) simplify the concept by stating the Internet as a “electronic means of capturing, processing, storing, and disseminating information”.
Production:
To a non-economist, production simply means the creation of anything tangible. According to Anyanwuocha (2006, p.22), production entails the generation of utility.
It is the generation of wealth in the form of commodities and services capable of meeting human needs. It might alternatively be defined as any activity that requires human effort and results in the gratification of human wants.
Newspaper:
A newspaper is a publication that contains news, information, and advertisements and is typically published daily. Newspapers frequently publish articles about political events, crime, business,
art/entertainment, society, and sports. Most traditional newspapers include an editorial page with columns expressing the writers’ personal thoughts.
Journalism Practice:
Are the processes (from news collecting to newsstand) through which newspapers undergo before they are in hardcopy or softcopy?
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