Social Media Usage in Gathering and Transmission of News among Broadcast Journalists in South-East Nigeria

Social Media Usage in Gathering and Transmission of News Among Broadcast Journalists in South-East Nigeria

BENEDICT OBIORA AGBO1 & OKECHUKWU CHUKWUMA2
1University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria
2Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract
The study was aimed at ascertaining the level at which broadcast journalists in South-East Nigeria deploy the social media in news gathering and transmission. The survey research method was used while the questionnaire served as the measuring instrument. The entire 867 broadcast journalists in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria constituted the population of the study from where a sample of 274 was drawn using the Taro Yamane’s formula. Using the purposive sampling technique, the researchers found that broadcast journalists in South- East Nigeria have not significantly embraced the social media in the news gathering and transmission. It was therefore recommended among others that broadcast journalists in South-East Nigeria should embrace the social media platforms as the platforms represent potent tools for the practice of modern day journalism.

Keywords: Social media, newsgathering, transmission, broadcast, journalists

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Dr. Benedict Obiora Agbo is a lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies at University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. His research interests include public relations, advertising and strategic communication, new media and journalism studies, development communication, as well as media and politics.
Okechukwu Chukwuma is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. His research interests are health communication, political communication, communication research, development communication and media and conflict studies.