IMPACT OF TWITTER BAN ON ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN NIGERIA ( A CASE STUDY OF ARISE TV AND CHANNELS TV)

IMPACT OF TWITTER BAN ON ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN NIGERIA ( A CASE STUDY OF ARISE TV AND CHANNELS TV)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The entire world is connected electronically. A steady stream of information and entertainment is provided through streaming media, which includes radio, television, cable, satellite, and streaming. Each day, millions of messages are sent and received. Internet news now draws more readers than ever before, signaling a dramatic change in the way that people consume news.
As stated by Stassen (2010), referenced in Ebbini (2010), viewers can now get a “instant helping” of the most recent news via the Internet, their mobile devices, or social media pages. (2019). Because to the growing functionality of computerized “smart” phones, this immediateness is not only imaginable but also anticipated.

According to study results (Maier, G. (2009) Ebbini, A.), people are increasingly turning to the internet for their news rather than reading newspapers or watching network news (2019). Because to the usage of social media and new communications tools and technologies, new information, stories, and news may be distributed more quickly and extensively than ever before.

In the digital age, news is pervasive. How information is reported and consumed has undergone a significant transformation as a result of the shift from a broadcast media era to a digital media era. Television and radio stations are quickly adopting social media, even though the general public is at the forefront of this trend.

According to the 2009 Middleburg/SNCR Study of Media in the Wired World (McClure & Middleburg, 2009, quoted in Ebbini, A.), around 70% of television channels use social networking sites, and 48% use Twitter or other microblogging sites and tools (2019). More than 90% of the journalists surveyed concurred that social media is vital for television and radio stations since they are increasingly using it to report news, find story ideas and sources, and monitor sentiment and discussions. This illustrates the significance of social media handles in media reporting through electronic media outlets.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The Nigerian government declared on June 4 that it has halted Twitter’s operations there. Two days prior to the announcement, the social media platform had taken down a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari in which Buhari made a subtly worded warning against secessionist organizations in the southeast by promising to “handle them in the language they understand.” The government has ordered Internet service providers to block access to Twitter and has instructed federal prosecutors to jail anyone found using the service after the ban was announced. With some initial uncertainty on whether Twitter was still available, it appears as of mid-June that the majority of Nigerians are unable to access the website. The Twitter ban is merely the most recent instance of how governments have spied on, censored, and otherwise repressed their citizens by exerting control over the Internet and other digital technology.

The issue is how the ban will affect media outlets and stations that use Twitter to bring information close to the public in a busy world where their audience has little time to sit in front of television and radio but relies on the internet. While the federal government may provide justification for the ban, this is not the catch. The capacity to report on a story live regardless of when the newscast is is one of the most amazing benefits of social media, particularly Twitter. An article can be live-Tweeted by a reporter, giving readers immediate access to information without having to wait for the evening news.

. With the banning of twitter in Nigeria, citizens now have quick access to information across all electronic media via the twitter platform, which negatively impacts not only the citizens but also the media channels themselves by lowering traffic to their websites and limiting their ability to post breaking news instantly to twitter. As a result, this study tends to look on how Twitter’s ban has affected electronic media.

1.3  OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

Examining the effect of Twitter’s prohibition on electronic media is the major goal of this study. In particular, the study aims :
1. To investigate the role that social media sites play in electronic media reporting
2. To assess how effective Twitter was in comparison to other electronic media, such as TV channels and radio stations, prior to the ban
3. To ascertain whether the restriction on Twitter will effect how quickly citizens may obtain information on the social media pages of television and radio broadcasters.
4.  To ascertain how much the Twitter ban will impact nightly news and speedy reporting on television channels.

1.4  RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The following hypothesis serves as the focus of the study.
HO: The twitter ban won’t have a substantial impact on citizens’ quick access to information on television/radio stations’ social media pages.
Hi: The Twitter ban will have a severe impact on citizens’ access to information on television/radio stations’ social media pages.
HO: The Twitter ban won’t significantly affect television networks or speedy media reporting
Hi: The Twitter ban will significantly affect television networks and timely media reporting.

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study’s findings and theoretical components will be important to the general public, private media owners, and the government. The study will inform the government and stakeholders about the necessity to reevaluate the present Twitter ban knowing how this would affect media freedom and how citizens perceive the level of fundamental human rights being upheld as the consequence of this may threaten the genuine tenet of democracy. More specifically, the study will add to the body of knowledge and be very beneficial to students, researchers, and other people who might be interested in gathering or doing any research relevant to the subject being studied.

1.6  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study borders on the impact of twitter ban on electronic media. The study is however limited to Arise Television and Channels Television in Lagos State which is one of the electronic media.

1.7  LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

These are some of the study’s limitations:

Finance: This work is restricted to Arise Television and Channels Television in Lagos State as a result of the economic hardship that the population, including the researcher, were suffering. A larger sample size would have allowed the study to cover a larger territory, but it is now impossible.

Time: The researcher’s time constraints were not unexpected, as they directly interfered with the thorough coverage that was anticipated for this report. The researcher wants to speak with every employee of the chosen television channels, however due to all of her duties, which overlap with both academic fields,

With the exception of a small number of respondents who are journalists for Arise and channels Television, it has become nearly impossible to cover everyone due to job commitments and other social activities.

Respondents’ attitudes: The majority of journalists fail to collect the surveys, and those who do tend to fill them out quickly and send them back while some never do. Others were less amenable and may have divulged unreliable information out of a fear of being found out, despite the researcher’s assurances that all material would be treated in the strictest confidence and used exclusively for educational purposes.

1.8  DEFINITION OF TERMS

Twitter: Users post and interact with messages known as “tweets” on this American microblogging and social networking site. Unregistered users can only read tweets while registered users can post, like, and retweet them.

Twitter Ban: This is the official suspension of Twitter’s operations as ordered by the Federal Government of Nigeria on June 5, 2021, until its owners comply with a recently formed condition imposed on them by the Nigerian government.

Electronic media are those that allow audience members to access the content through electronics or electromechanical devices.

REFERENCE

CNN (2021) Nigeria bans Twitter after company deletes President Buhari’s tweet”. . Retrieved 5 June 2021.

Ebbini, Aniseh (2019) “An Exploration of Social Media Use in Local Television News Stations: An Evaluation and Development of a Successful New Media Strategy”. Theses and Dissertations. 468. http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/468

Washington Post. (2021) “Nigeria suspends Twitter after the social media platform freezes president’s account”.  ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 5 June 2021.