CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The entire world is electronically connected. Radio, television, cable, satellite, and streaming media all transmit and receive millions of messages every day, providing a steady stream of information and pleasure. The landscape of news consumption is changing dramatically, with more people reading online news than ever before.

Today’s viewers can get a “instant helping” of breaking news on the Internet, or via mobile phones or social media pages (Stassen, J. (2010), cited in Ebbini, A.). (2019). Because of the rising power of computerized “smart” phones, this immediacy is not only imaginable, but anticipated. According to survey statistics, people are increasingly going online to get their news rather than reading the newspaper or watching network news.

Because of the use of social media and new communications tools and technologies, new information, stories, and news may be transmitted more widely and quickly than ever before.

In the digital age, news has become pervasive. The shift from broadcast to digital media has had a significant impact on how information is reported and consumed. Despite the fact that the general population is at the forefront of social media usage, television and radio stations are quickly catching up. According to the 2009 Middleburg/SNCR Survey of Media in the Wired World (McClure & Middleburg, 2009 cited 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 journalists asked stated that social media is increasingly being used to report news, locate story ideas and sources, and monitor feelings and discussions, showing that social media is vital for television and radio stations. As a result, the significance of social media handles in electronic media reporting is established.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The Nigerian government declared on June 4 that Twitter’s operations in the country had been suspended. The declaration came two days after President Muhammadu Buhari delivered a thinly disguised threat against secessionist groups in the southeast in a tweet in which Buhari threatened to “handle them in the language they understand.” Since announcing the ban, the government has directed federal prosecutors to arrest anyone who continues to use Twitter, as well as ordering Internet service providers to block access to the platform. After some initial misunderstanding about whether Twitter was still available, it appears that most Nigerians can no longer access the platform as of mid-June. One of the most impressive features of social media, particularly Twitter, is the capacity to report on a story in real time, regardless of the newscast’s schedule. A reporter can live-Tweet a story as it happens, giving news consumers instant access to information without having to wait for the nightly news.With the ban on Twitter in Nigeria, this information quick access to information on all electronic media via twitter platform, which not only affects citizens but also has a negative effect on those media channels; reducing traffic drawn to their website and also limiting their ability to publish instant news on twitter platform, which not only affects citizens but also has a negative effect on those media channels; As a result, the focus of this research is on the impact of the Twitter ban on electronic media.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The primary goal of this research is to look into the influence of the Twitter ban on electronic media. The study’s objectives are as follows:

  1. To investigate the significance of social media sites in electronic media reporting.
  2. Before the ban, the efficiency of Twitter in relation to electronic media such as TV channels and radio stations was investigated.
  3. To see if the Twitter ban will effect individuals’ easy access to information on the social media pages of television and radio stations.
  4. To see how the Twitter ban would effect television channels’ speedy reporting outside of the evening news.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The following hypothesis guides the research:

HO: The twitter ban will have no substantial impact on citizens’ quick access to information on television and radio stations’ social media pages.

The twitter ban will have a substantial impact on citizens’ ability to access information on television/radio stations’ social media pages.

HO: The Twitter ban will have no substantial impact on television stations or timely news coverage.

HI: The suspension of Twitter will have a tremendous influence on television stations and the speed with which news is reported.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Citizens, private media proprietors, and the government will benefit from the findings and theoretical aspects of this research. The study will inform stakeholders and the government about the need to reconsider the present Twitter ban in light of how it will damage media freedom and citizen perceptions on the level at which fundamental human rights are protected, since the result may undermine the genuine premise of democracy. More importantly, the study will add to the body of knowledge and will be extremely beneficial to students, researchers, and other individuals who may be interested in gathering or doing research on the issue under consideration.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this research is limited to the effects of the Twitter ban on electronic media. However, the study is limited to Arise Television and Channels Television, both of which are electronic media in Lagos State.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The following are some of the study’s limitations:

Due to the economic hardships that many individuals, including the researcher, are facing, a bigger sample size that would have allowed the study to reach a larger region has become impossible; hence, this work is limited to Arise Television and Channels Television in Lagos State.

Time: It’s not surprising that the researcher’s time was limited, as this posed a direct threat to the thorough coverage sought in this report. The researcher intended to interview all employees of the selected television channels, however due to the researcher’s multiple activities, which include academics, work schedules, and other social activities, this became nearly impossible.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Twitter is a microblogging and social networking website based in the United States that allows users to send and receive messages known as “tweets.” Unregistered users can only view tweets, while registered users can post, like, and retweet them.

Twitter Ban: This is the official halt in the functioning of Twitter, as decreed by the Federal Government of Nigeria on June 5th, 2021, until the proprietors of the social network meet the government’s newly stated requirements.

 

Electronic Media: Electronic media refers to content that is accessed through the use of electronics or electromechanical means.

REFERENCE

Nigeria bans Twitter when the corporation deletes President Buhari’s message, according to CNN (2021). On the 5th of June 2021, I was able to get a hold of some information

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

The Washington Post is a news organization based in the United (2021) “Nigeria suspends Twitter after the president’s account was frozen by the social media platform.” The ISSN number for this article is 0190-8286. On the 5th of June 2021, I was able to get a hold of some information

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