Impact of Twitter Ban on Electronic Media in Nigeria (a Case Study of Arise Tv and Channels Tv)
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of twitter ban on electronic media. Specifically the study seeks to:
- To examine the importance of social media site in media reporting through electronic media
- To examine the level of effectiveness twitter was to electronic media such as TV channel and radio Station before the ban
- To investigate if twitter ban will affect citizens’ quick access to information on television/radio stations’ social media page
- To determine the extent to which twitter ban will affect Television Channels quick reporting aside the nighty news.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Social media: evolution and social transformations
Social media consists of computer-based technologies for easy communication, interaction and collaboration. They are digitally-mediated communication software that enable users to create, share and view content in publicly networked one-to-one, one-to-many, and/or many- to-many communications (Hopkins, 2017). The social media as we have it today, evolved in generations. Internet use in the early 1990s was mainly a one way flow communication system. Users could only read through contents posted online without a means to participate by either liking, commenting, sharing or interacting with other users. Cormode and Krishnamurthy (2008) explains that Internet use was primarily configured around “passive” consumption of static content posted on websites without any meaningful input or interaction on the part of the content‟s readers or viewers and this era marks the first generation in the evolution referred to as “Web 1.0”
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the emergence of the second generation of the evolution of the Internet known as the „Web 2.0‟. This era of Internet evolution is characterized by feedback, interactivity and multimediality. Yar Majid (2018), puts it that what distinguished Web 2.0 platforms, applications, and services from their predecessors was their erosion (and possible effacement) of the distinction between producers and consumers of content, with users generating their own multi-media content (e.g., text, images, animations, audio-visual recordings). This could be shared with multiple other users and it is precisely the user interactivity that puts the “social” into “social media.” Notable among the social networking sites in vogue today that exhibits the above described features of the Web 2.0 and more includes: Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp Twitter, Intsagram, Snapchat, Flickr, Tumblr, Skype, LinkedIn, Telegram, Reddit, MySpace, Viber, and many others.
Social impacts of the social media are evident across several countries of the world. The Arab spring became a reference point in many discourses given the role it played in amplifying and accelerating regime changes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Al-Jenaibi (2014) in a survey of respondents from the Arab region found that social media outlets complemented old media and served as a catalyst for the uprisings that have swept several Arab states in the Middle East. Social media was used to mobilize for rioting, street protests and violence in Hungary in 2006. During this period, radical political and cultural groups used the Internet for exchanging information, mobilizing supporters and developing their narratives of the events (Jakubowicz, 2012) cited in (Agbaenyi, Okafor & Nwagbo, 2015).In a bid to assess the relationship between social media use and political knowledge among the Turkish electorate, Andı, Aytaç and Çarkoğlu (2019) found that social media use is positively associated with higher levels of political knowledge and participation. The challenge, however, was that users are more likely to be misinformed and more likely to be opinionated about politics than non- users (Andı, Aytaç & Çarkoğlu, 2019).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we would describe how the study was carried out.
Research design
Research design is a detailed outline of how an investigation took place. It entails how data is collected, the data collection tools used and the mode of analyzing data collected (Cooper & Schindler (2006). This study used a descriptive research design. Gill and Johnson (2002) state that a descriptive design looks at particular characteristics of a specific population of subjects, at a particular point in time or at different times for comparative purposes. The choice of a survey design for this study was deemed appropriate as Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) attest that it enables the researcher to determine the nature of prevailing conditions without manipulating the subjects.
Further, the survey method was useful in describing the characteristics of a large population and no other method of observation can provide this general capability. On the other hand, since the time duration to complete the research project was limited, the survey method was a cost effective way to gather information from a large group of people within a short time. The survey design made feasible very large samples and thus making the results statistically significant even when analyzing multiple variables. It allowed for many questions to be asked about a given topic giving considerable flexibility to the analysis. Usually, high reliability is easy to obtain by presenting all subjects with a standardized stimulus; observer subjectivity is greatly eliminated. Cooper and Schindler (2006) assert that the results of a survey can be easily generalized to the entire population.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Preamble
The purpose of this chapter is to examine and interpret the data collected and collated in the field by the researcher. The analysis and interpretation are based on the questionnaire used for this study.
Out of the three hundred questionnaires, two hundred and ninety six (296) were successfully retrieved and answered correctly while four (4) could not be retrieved despite all efforts made by the researcher.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CONCLUSION
The study set out to understand the perception towards Twitter ban, particularly their conception and notion of it, their projected consequences of it, and their ideas about alternatives to it. To prevent one-dimensional responses, the researcher set questions that required respondents to comment on the interestingly polarized (positive and negative) aspects of Twitter ban, yet, majority (54%) of the respondents do not support the move for government Twitter ban in Nigeria. The researcher observed an increasing lack of trust between the people and government, as many respondents fear for the possibility of officials in charge to create vague criminal offenses that would allow the authorities to prosecute peaceful criticisms of government, if social media were to be regulated. This study also proves that users are not unaware of the risks or dangers associated with the use of an unregulated social media, but it is a gamble that most are prepared to take for a free voice online.
This study also reveals that the worst that could happen if social media were to be regulated is the stifling of the exchange of opposing ideas online, other than that, most respondents will not be discouraged from accessing these platforms for other equally important interpersonal businesses and conversations that happens every-day.
To bridge this gap in trust between people and government, there is dire need for government officials to provide unrestricted access to information by abiding to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. When the public or the press is denied facts by government, it becomes only natural that they to turn towards potentially false sources for information.
Apart from access to information, findings from this study points towards good governance, proper sensitization of users towards self-regulation, sanctioning of irresponsible social media companies operating in Nigeria and implementation of existing media laws online, rather than regulation by way of direct government involvement in the affairs of social media users.
RECOMMENDATIONS
No doubt, a research involves an investigation geared towards increasing knowledge and providing ideas to solve problems. From this information, coupled with an enthusiastic desire to ensure confirmatory evidence on this study, particularly in the aspect of achieving a greater feeling of certainty for likely purpose of making generalisation in the future; the researcher, therefore, consider it fit and essential to make some useful recommendations:
Arising from the research findings, the researcher wishes to make the following recommendations.
1 Government should stop unnecessary and undue interference in the media.
2 Unnecessary Censorship in the form of media laws or decrees should be discouraged by the media owners and government and when it is inevitable, it should be left for the media professionals to determine.
3 Objectivity and fairness should be the watch word of the Nigerian press in order to retain readership and even improve on their market share.
4 Media men should be properly motivated and encouraged to perform their public service duties to the people of Nigeria and must not be gagged with any obnoxious law.
5 Well articulated editorial policies capable of placing the Nigerian press in the same pedestal as their counterparts in other developed and developing nations should be adopted and maintained in order to give the Nigerian Press a sense of direction.
6 Press and media organisations should be encouraged to perform their duties ultimately and protect journalists who are often the targets or certain repressive governments
References
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- Al-Jenaibi, B. (2014). The nature of Arab public discourse: Social media and the „Arab Spring.‟Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, 3(2), 241–260.
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