Knowledge and Use of Facebook for News Gathering and Reporting among Members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Ebonyi State Chapter

Background: The advent of social media has revolutionized the way people consume news, with Facebook being one of the most popular platforms. In Nigeria, Facebook has become an essential tool for news gathering and dissemination. The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Chapter, comprises professional journalists who play a critical role in shaping public opinion and disseminating information. However, the shift from traditional news sources to online platforms poses challenges and opportunities for journalists. Facebook, with its vast reach and accessibility, offers journalists a unique platform to gather and share news. Yet, the effectiveness of Facebook as a news gathering tool among Nigerian journalists remains understudied. Objective: This study investigates the knowledge and use of Facebook for news gathering among members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Ebonyi State Chapter. The research aims to bridge the knowledge gap by exploring the extent to which journalists in Ebonyi State utilize Facebook for news gathering, the benefits and challenges they encounter, and the implications for journalism practice in Nigeria. Method: The survey research design was adopted. The study was anchored on the Uses and gratification theory. The population of the study was 245 NUJ correspondents in Ebonyi State. The entire population was used as the sample size because it was manageable. The researcher used structured questionnaire to elicit responses from the respondents. The instrument was validated by experts in Department of mass communication. Frequency table and percentage were used to analyze gathered data. Results: There was high level of knowledge and use of social media for news gathering and reporting among Journalists in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Conclusion: The conclusion of this study is that there is high online presence of Journalists in Ebonyi State, Nigeria on Facebook and they use the platform for news gathering and reporting. Unique Contribution: This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on social media and journalism, providing fresh insights into the experiences of Nigerian journalists in Ebonyi State. Hopefully, the findings would be found useful in journalism practice, journalism education, and journalism policy. Key Recommendation: The study recommends that media outlets in Ebonyi State and beyond, should consciously through periodic trainings, equip their journalist with knowledge and tools for fact-checking social media generated news, to be able to separate fake from authentic social media news, particularly, the Facebook.