Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

The newspaper business in Nigeria has been contributing significantly to the social economic growth and development of the Nigerian nation even before independence. Right from its inception in the early 1800s, newspapers in Nigeria have been credited with raising social consciousness and was in the vanguard of the nationalist movement that culminated in independence in 1960. Since Nigeria became a republic, the press has been an omnipresent feature of the Nigerian national life, credited, with the rise and fall of governments and brands. However, the advent of ICT and especially the rise of social media and online newspapers appear to be affecting the viability and durability of the newspaper industry. This paper examined the role of the newspaper industry and the social media in the contemporary life of Nigeria and investigated media practitioners’ perception of the continued viability of the newspaper industry and their attitudes to online platforms. Most Nigerian newspapers continue to rely on hard copy sale for their revenues. The paper posits that that model is failing, accounting for the current high rate of newspaper mortality and financial fragility. The paper recommends the adoption of social media by newspaper houses and recommends rapid migration of print newspapers to online platforms.