Nigerians Perception Of Information Credibility From Bloggers

This study was designed to assess Nigerians perception of information credibility from bloggers. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The target population consisted of residents of Abakaiki L.G.A of Ebonyi State. The sampling technique used was the simple random sampling to select 399 respondents. The instrument of data collection for this study is a self-developed questionnaire. The data obtained for this study were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics that is frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse the data collected. From the findings, it has been established that blogs are credible sources of information in Nigeria. In another finding, the most contents of the social media sites that were considered as not credible have been ascertained with political-oriented contents being the topmost on the ladder. From the views expressed by the respondents, those contents hinging on political affairs are not regarded as credible. The data should be useful pieces of information to the politicians and their media staff who use various sites of the social media for their publicity. Moreover, other findings depict that the contents with information criticizing other religion or religious denomination as well as those encouraging tribalism were rated as not reliable by the respondents. In conclusion, it has been established that Nigerian users evaluated the social media as credible channels of public communication. However, there are contents found to be subjected to abuses by the unscrupulous users. Thus, members of the public were encouraged to be cautious of that reality in other not to fall victims. It was recommended that media users should go extra miles to verify from other credible sources on some of the information they get from the sites since anybody can post anything on the blogs.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

The medium of every communication is as important as the communication emanating from there. That is simply why McLuhan (1964) cited by Logan (2011, p.40) states that "the medium is the message." Perhaps, this submission more than any other thing underscores the importance of a medium of communication. The import of it is that, to a greater extent the medium is the yardstick to measure the communication coming from it. Little wonder, Chiakwelu (2015) notes that when it comes to western media, the prevailing norm in Nigeria and Africa is that "whatever emanates from the BBC is nothing but the truth." It implies that when the medium is trustworthy then the message from it would be trusted and vice-versa. The twenty-first century is characterized by multi-sources (media) of sending and receiving messages and information. This very era has been variously described as an information age, maybe largely because of the divergent communication medium prevalent now. The modern communication technologies are responsible for the availability of the avalanche of the channels of information. The social media also known as the social networking sites are part of the latest means of interaction which the modern technologies bequeathed to this century and its people. They are redefining the processes, patterns and sources of human communication in the world presently.

The growth in the use of the social media has been astronomical unlike the case of other prior means of communication before the emergence of the new communication technologies of today. Awake! (2011, p.24) buttresses this point by noting that "social networking has become hugely popular. The social networking site Facebook gained 200 million users in one 12-month period!" This was a milestone in audience coverage which none of the earlier invented medium of public communication ever came close to. Awake! further explains the length of time radio, television and the internet took to reach their reasonable number of audience in millions. "It took 38 years for radio to reach 50 million users, 13 years for television to attract the same number, and 4 years for the Internet to do so," (Awake, 2011, p.24).

Perhaps the reason for the unprecedented growth in the spread of the social media among the people is because they are communication technologies which enable their users to be producers as well as receivers of information. That upgrading of the status of media audiences from being largely content consumers to being actively content producers or contributors is a feature that distinguishes the social media from the conventional mass media. The latter has been promoting hegemony in media content production and distribution while the former (social media) emerged and democratized the whole processes empowering virtually every person to participate in public communication process.

Presently, the social media are unimaginably popular in the hands of their teeming users notwithstanding the point that they empower and encourage amateurs to generate and distribute the contents of public communication. With this current trend, almost everybody could lay wager that he or she is a reporter hence they have the enabling technologies. The situation is changing what is hitherto known as the mass media news. It has equally altered the gathering, processing, packaging and delivery of the media news as obtained before now. All these alterations engendered by the social media culminate in certain changes to the existing conventional media; that is evident in the observation of Aja (2011, p.4) who firmly argues that "traditional media organizations such as radio, television, newspapers and magazines seem to have lost prominence and their audience. They make little or no positive change in the society." "Their news and information, as the European Society of Professional Journalists (2004, p.1) observes, are being increasingly circumvented by users who... use alternative media sources."" These opinions are in line with the view of McLuhan cited by Logan (2011, p.40) who avers that "a new medium is never an addition to an old one, nor does it leave the old one in peace. It never ceases to oppress the older media until it finds new shapes and positions for them," (McLuhan, 1964, p. 174)."

With the prevailing practices which the social media ushered into modern journalism, many ethical canons of the profession are often partly or entirely not observed by the users of the new media who are reporters sans journalistic trainings. Similarly, in most countries of the globe the legal frameworks guiding journalism as a profession might have no bearing on the social media-made reporters who report events just like the journalists attached to mass media institutions known and legally recognized in a nation. The virtual base of the social media sites also makes it extremely difficult for the operations of their users to be ethically monitored or legally regulated in the developing countries.

Based on the exigencies of the forgoing, it therefore becomes imperative to ascertain the views of the people with regard to the credibility of the social media which many rely on them for sending and receiving messages or information. This is highly expedient as mass media organizations, advertisers and other corporate entities patronize the social media channels like individual persons. Meanwhile sometimes many a person cry foul that the information the audience received from the social media site about them is either completely false or a doctored version of an event or an issue. So, this study is set to find out the credibility of social media in the estimation of their Nigerian users.

In the contemporary age, there are numerous social media sites available for usage among Nigerians of all classes. Many other new ones spring up, so it may not be tenable for one to know exactly all the social media channels used by Nigerians currently. This prevalence and continuous emergence of the social media sites make it very difficult if not entirely impossible for one study to cover all the social media networks available to Nigerians in the country now. Therefore, in this paper, we delineate the social media to include blogs.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In every communication enterprise, the importance of the medium of the messages or information could not be over laboured. Put differently, messages are taken as sound as the medium where they originate from. Therefore, if a medium is adjudged as unreliable, the tendency is that the messages coming from there shall never be seen as credible; perchance the Latin maxim which says "nemodat quod non habet," (no one gives what he has not) best captures the scenario. The social media are increasing in both usage and coverage scope across the globe. They are gradually becoming the dominant means of keeping in touch with one another as well as the major channels of public communication of this era. Both individuals and the corporate organizations make use of the social networking sites for their distinct communication purposes. These new means of interactions are expanding the frontiers of reception as well as dissemination of information and communication all over the world. No wonder, in spite of their numbers and even the ones springing up, more users connect to the social media regularly. Many researchers including (Idakwo, 2011; Ezeah, Asogwa & Edogor, 2013; Enobakhare& Orem, 2013; Danladi, 2013) have variously pointed and or found out that the use of the social media is on the increase among Nigerians.

However, with the popularity which the social media sites have attained, it is paradoxical to see some Nigerians express utter denial of some of the messages divulged through some of the new media channels. Thus, the problem is, with the scenario described above, are the social media credible channels of communication among their Nigerian users? Which of the social media site is more credible among Nigerians? Are there contents of the social media which are often considered as not credible by the users? These outlined points form the problems which this paper has systematically found answers to.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The aim of this study is to assess Nigerians perception of information credibility from bloggers. Specifically, the objectives of the study include to;

To ascertain whether bloggers are credible sources of information among Nigerians.

To find out whether there are blogs that are considered more credible by the people.

To ascertain the contents of the blogs which the people often classify as not credible.

1.4 Research Question

The following research questions are formulated to guide this research:

Are bloggers credible sources of information among Nigerians?

Are there blogs that are considered more credible by the people?

What are the contents of the blogs which the people often classify as not credible?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

HO1 There are no bloggers credible sources of breaking news stories in Nigeria

HO2 There are no blog platforms that are more credible than others

HO3 There are no contents of blogs often considered as not credible by their users

1.6 Significance of the Study

A study of this magnitude will be of immense benefits to different people in different fields. This is because, virtually all sectors of humans uses the internet. It has no limitation. However, this research is a communication work and by this implication, those that will greatly benefit from this research are those in the academic environment. It will further strengthen their horizon on the teaching of social media, particularly to the media student.

The media industry on who this entire work borders on, it will make them to be more credible and objective in their reportage both in the print and electronic medium.

The government and policy makers will also benefit immensely from this research findings. This is because it will make the government to step in and regulate the environment and communication sector especially in the area of the internet. This will help to reduce careless and shameless speeches being posted online. People tend to believe what they read online and this will form their action. The society is tackling serious security challenges and most people action been hostile to the government is as a result of what they read online. Government must step up to put an end to reckless communication and publication and postings being carried out by social media content producers.

Finally, this work will add to the already existing literature in the field thereby acquainting readers with the basic knowledge of the social media benefits and inherent flaws thereto in news consumption.

1.7 Scope of Study

As described by Boyd and Ellison (2007), Social Network site is an online service for users to create a public or semi-public profile, build a network common link and navigate other users" profile and networks. This simply means that an audience who is a member of a particular social media platform cannot escape from receiving breaking news stories from that source whether he solicit for it or not. This work focuses on Nigerians perception of information credibility from bloggers. Nigeria is a country with about 36 states and many ethnic nationalities. Studying the entire nation as a scope will be too stressful for the researcher and may hamper the research findings. It is on this note that the researcher limited the scope of this study to residents of Abakaliki metropolis. Also, not all the blogging platforms as sources of breaking news stories were studied as notable ones such as Linda Ikeji"s Blog, BellaNaija Blog, OgbongeBlog, and Naija Newswere studied.

1.8 Limitation of the Study

In the course of this study, the researcher encountered some limitations. There was unwillingness of respondents to fill the questionnaires. Some of the copies questionnaires were also reported missing and it was severally replaced and this affected the researcher negatively finance wise. Also, the researcher faced time constraints and had to combine the research with other academic activities and coursework.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Blogs:

A blog is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page.

Perception:

Is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment.

Information Credibility:

Comprises the objective and subjective components of the believability of a source or message. Information credibility is defined as the extent to which one perceives information to be believable, and is a strong predictor of an information consumer"s further action.

1.10 Organisation of the Study

This study is organized into five chapters. Chapter one included the background of the study, research problem, research objectives and questions as well as limitation of the study. Chapter two contains the literature review. Chapter three includes the methodology and study area. Chapter Four contains the results and discussion of key findings of the study. Chapter Five finally looks at the summary, conclusions, and recommendations based on the findings.

5.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary

This study recorded certain findings that are quite worthwhile to note about the subject matter of the enquiry. By the assessment of the users, it has been established that blogs are credible sources of information in Nigeria. This finding supports a submission in an empirical study conducted by Kang where it was reported that "credibility of social media is one of the key factors initiating and further increasing public engagement and communication effectiveness in the...social media," Kang (2010, p.1). This apparently confirms the reason for the rate of the popularity and rapid increase in the usage of the blogging sites among Nigerians presently. Also, the research found out that among the blogging platform examined, Linda Ikeji"s Blogis the most credible according to the ratings of the respondents.

In another finding of the work, the most contents of the social media sites that were considered as not credible have been ascertained with political-oriented contents being the topmost on the ladder. With the points outlined, it is decipherable that the social media sites" contents on political matters were laden with more of propaganda. That was evident where the respondents noted that political contents were not credible as many of them were replete with exaggerations, false publicity, and distortion of facts and figures on politicians and or party related matters as well as debasing of opponents. By a thorough assessment, we can see that all these mentioned points are often characteristics of political propaganda.

From the views expressed by the respondents, those contents hinging on political affairs are not regarded as credible. The data should be useful pieces of information to the politicians and their media staff who use various sites of the social media for their publicity. They have to note that Nigerian social media users take many of the political publicities on the channels with a pinch of salt. In another finding of the study, the contents of the social media bearing job alerts as well as information on businesses were adjudged as not credible because most of the vacancies or details displayed were noted as fakes according to the respondents. The implication is that Nigerians who search for employment or business opportunities on the social media sites should tread with caution to avoid running into the hands of fraudsters online.

Moreover, other findings depict that the contents with information criticizing other religion or religious denomination as well as those encouraging tribalism were rated as not reliable by the respondents. The findings show that the users do not buy the idea of those using the social media platforms as means of fanning the embers of tribalism and or promoting religious bigotry. So, those whose stock in trade on the social media is to vituperate other tribes, other religions or denomination ought to be sure that many Nigerian users would not believe most of their ideas against the aforementioned.

5.2 Conclusion

In the present time, blogging sites are being used exceedingly by good number of Nigerians of distinct status and categories; the youths, the adults as well as the male and the female constituents of the country have been documented to be involved. Due to the tremendous increase in the uses of the sites, the researchers deemed it worthwhile to examine the credibility of the new means of communication. That becomes imperative to fathom the rate of credibility of each of the selected blogs among their Nigerian users. From the findings of the study, it has been established that Nigerian users evaluated the social media as credible channels of public communication. However, there are contents found to be subjected to abuses by the unscrupulous users. Thus, members of the public were encouraged to be cautious of that reality in other not to fall victims.

5.3 Recommendation

Based on the findings of this study, the following are recommended;

Nigerian users of blogs should be wary of some of the contents they consume as unscrupulous users have been found to display misleading information that could be harmful to the public.

New media users in the country have to be aware that some political contents were mere propaganda tools apply to debase other politicians or political party"s ideologies as well as exaggerate and or falsify some information on political-related issues.

Members of the public are encouraged to desist from the various abuses in the usage of the blogs for the interest of greater number of Nigerians found to be users of the sites in search of various relevant pieces of information.

Media practitioners and academics should devote time to educate the people to avoid negative uses of the blogs and other alternative media sources as they form major credible channels of public communication in Nigeria now.

Media users should go extra miles to verify from other credible sources on some of the information they get from the sites since anybody can post anything on the blogs.

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1.4 Research Question

1.5 Research Hypothesis

1.6 Significance of the Study

1.7 Scope of Study

1.8 Limitation of the Study

1.9 Definition of Terms

1.10 Organisation of the Study

Chapter Two

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.2 Overview of Blogs as Channel of Public Communication

2.3 Mass Media and Credibility

2.4 Blogs and Credibility

2.5 News Source and Credibility

2.5.1 Source Content

2.5.2 Media Credibility

2.5.3 Internet Credibility

2.5.4 Source Credibility

2.5.5 News Sources

2.6 Audience Determinant Factor

2.7 New Media

2.8 Theoretical Framework

2.8.1 Mcluhan"s Media Theory

2.8.2 Technological Determinism Theory:

2.8.3 Alternative Media Theory

Chapter Three

3.0 Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population

3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique

3.4 Instrument for Data Collection

3.5 Validity of the Instrument

3.6 Reliability of the Instrument

3.7 Method of Data Collection

3.8 Data Analysis

Chapter Four

4.0 Results and Discussion

4.1 Result

4.2 Discussion

Chapter Five

5.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendation

References

Appendix

• Attitude And Perception Of Nigerians Towards The Registration And Collection Of Permanent Voters Card (PVC)
• Nigerians Perception Of Newspaper Reportage Or Coverage Of Female Aspirants In Nigerian Politics
• Nigerians Perception Of Media Reportage Of Female Politician And Aspirants In Nigeria

• Mass Communication Project Topics and Materials