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Implications of Citizen Journalism on the Main Stream Journalism

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The study evaluated the implications of citizen journalism in the main stream journalism and discovered that Citizen Journalism is emerging as a powerful phenomenon across Nigeria as showcased by popular citizen journalism websites. The Sahara Reporters, one of such websites, is noted for its timely reports on issues and events as evidenced in a study conducted by Dare (2011, p.44) where 86 of the 120 respondents surveyed cited the Sahara reporters as a source of breaking news. By its interactivity and ability to deliver news in split seconds, citizen journalism has posed a serious challenge to the mainstream media in Nigeria. In as much as citizen journalism in Nigeria has broadened people’s access to a variety of news, this study suggests that a proper synergy between the mainstream journalism and citizen journalism is recommended to ascertain the best way(s) forward, for effective and efficient journalism practices in the country. The need therefore to sensitize Nigerian citizen journalists on proper use of this emerging brand of journalism is obvious.
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