Information Seeking and Sharing Practices of Journalists on Social Media in North-Central Nigeria
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Abstract
This study explores the challenges journalists face when using social media to seek and share information for public interest reporting, and how demographic and organisational variables influence these practices. Guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, it examines the interplay between individual motivation and institutional adaptation in digital journalism. Using a qualitative design, data were gathered through focus group discussions with twelve purposively selected journalists from Plateau State, Benue State, and the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Thematic analysis revealed recurring challenges such as exposure to misinformation and disinformation, algorithmic bias, verification pressures, infrastructural limitations, restrictive editorial policies, online harassment, and inadequate institutional support. The study further found that demographic factors, including age, experience, and organisational culture, significantly shape journalists’ social media engagement patterns. It concludes that Nigeria’s digitally stratified newsroom environment presents opportunities for innovation but remains constrained by ethical and systemic barriers. The study recommends continuous digital literacy training, stronger institutional support, and responsive policy frameworks. Its implications are both theoretical, in extending understanding of journalists’ digital motivations, and practical, in guiding media organisations towards adaptive and accountable social media practices.
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