Faculty of Journalism and Media Communications Dissertations

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Browsing Faculty of Journalism and Media Communications Dissertations by Subject "Investigative journalism - Nigeria"

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    Are New Media Tools Strengthening Investigative Journalism in Nigeria?
    (Griffith College, 2020) Igweze, Chisom Michael
    New media tools are increasingly being applied to various aspects of journalism practice. Investigative journalists the world over are finding in these tools new opportunities for easing and improving their performance. In Nigeria where there is obviously need to improve investigative journalism culture, there seems to be little focus so far by scholars on how much investigative journalism may be benefitting from these tools. Against this backdrop, this study focused on the extent new media tools may be strengthening investigative journalism in the country; that is, roles these tools may be playing in promoting this sort of reportage among practitioners. The research objectives were to find out: how informed Nigerian journalists are about the utility of new media tools in investigative journalism; whether they utilize these tools for investigative journalism; the ways the journalists possibly utilize the tools in advancement of investigative journalism; and factors possibly affecting use of new media tools for investigative journalism in the country. Ten investigative journalists working in print, broadcast and online-only news organisations were interviewed. Findings indicated that the journalists are informed about roles of new media tools in investigative journalism. The respondents were found to ave actually utilised some of these tools in the reportorial aspects of their investigative journalism engagements including fact-finding, fact verification, story writing, photo taking, and storage of data, as well as for non-reportorial aspects like accessing training, applying for grants, and entering for awards. They have, however, yet to adequately explore these tools for crowdsourcing and collaboration with colleagues as well as for shielding the identity of anonymous sources, encryption of conversations with sources, data organization, data analysis, and monitoring of the Internet for trending issues and developments. Results further revealed that factors like poor phone and Internet networks, unsteady electricity supply, financial handicaps, nonchalance of employers towards updating skills of journalists, and laidback attitude on the part of journalists themselves hinder adequate utilization of new media tools for investigative journalism in the country.The study concluded that the growing Internet culture in Nigeria will have the effect of exposing journalists to more knowledge and skills for stronger adoption of new media tools, giving hope for a much better future for investigative journalism in the country.