Analytical Discourse on Repositioning Journalism Practice to Meet the Challenges of the Nigerian Democratic Environment in the Digital Age

Abstract

Journalism plays vital roles in any democracy and these roles which are well determined include information dissemination, education, mobilisation, sensitisation, advocacy, persuasion to enlightenment of citizenry. As a nascent democracy, the Nigerian democratic environment has not attained a solid height yet. This is due to numerous challenges such as vote buying, name calling and election rigging which have bedeviled the democratic processes. This is as the Nigerian journalists are confronted with challenges too. The researcher examined ways these challenges can be minimised by repositioning journalism practice. Using the analytical research method with data drawn extensively from literatures and observations, findings showed that for journalism to be able to meet the challenges of the Nigerian democratic environment, it should be repositioned toward ideological, technological and pragmatic approaches and concluded that this is essential to achieve a democratic Nigerian society that will be viable in social and economic development. The researcher recommended that while journalists have major roles to play in repositioning journalism to meet the challenges of the Nigerian democratic environment in this digital age, journalism practice should be tailored toward social re-engineering, re-orientation and revigoration to enable it performs it roles effectively so as to consolidate the present Nigerian democratic efforts.