The Role of Mass Media in Crisis Management in Nigeria

The Role of Mass Media in Crisis Management in Nigeria

Chapter One

AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study is primarily aimed at evaluating the role of social media in crisis management. A case study of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The specific objectives are:

To identify how the social media has contributed or dampen violent crisis in Jos.
To identify the challenges, the social media has faced in dissemination of information during violent crisis.
To identify the pattern of news reporting during crisis situation. iv.To identify the roles, the social media plays in managing crisis in Jos.
To establish the social media accessibility and the various types of social media coverage within Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

THE GENERAL ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN CRISIS

The social media serves as a serious stakeholder in the Nigerian society and has created much impact on the ways in which the activities of the society functions especially when it comes to the relationship between the government and the society in the country. The social media, known to be the fourth estate of the realm, has over the years gained much influence and trust from the consuming public about information concerning important occurrences and events. The social media still holds its relevance in ensuring that information is passed from the source to the larger public as the social media works on serving as the watch dog of the society and checks on the activities that concerns the development and welfare of the larger society.

The Nigerian mass social media has played a significant role in economic, social, political and educational issues affecting the nation, thus contributing immensely towards development. However, this has come with disgust especially in political issues resulting into violent crisis (Ibrahim & Jenner, 1997). The invisible role of social media in Nigeria cannot be assumed given its influential power.

In order to objectively understand the nature and the role of social media in peace and crisis management, it is important to understand the various ways through which the social media influence crisis and crisis management. Newbold (1995) points out that majority of scholars and researchers have concentrated on the role of social media in economic, social and political issues affecting states with little attention being given to crisis. He further posed that social media impact on crisis management is an emerging area that has been under studied due to lack of multidisciplinary models and concepts that would view social media’s role from peace and crisis realm.

Osadolor (2001) cited in Orhewere and Kur (2004) writes that the most critical role of the social media should be in helping to prevent or at least attenuate the severity of crisis. Publicity is critical in exposing and checking vices. The mass social media in every society are seen as agents of social change. This is because they carry out certain roles and functions, which help to develop the populace positively. It is generally agreed that the mass social media set agenda for the public to follow. Any analysis of the role that social media can play in crisis prevention and resolution starts with a simple question: what do we exactly mean by social media? Howard (2002) posited that a different way to look at the question is to shift the focus from the social media to the crisis-prevention and peace building field. He also noted that an analysis of the crisis cycle can reveal a series of entry points for social media in a broader sense to play a positive role in crisis situations. In a pre-crisis phase, one of the greatest needs is often for effective early-warning systems, which rely heavily on the availability and quality of information.

In addition, Asemah and Edegoh (2012) stated that besides calling attention to matters of potential public concern, the social media also provides clues to the public about the degree of importance of an issue. Matters covered prominently by the social media on the front page, with big headlines and pictures or as a major Facebook or twitter features, are likely to be considered most important coverage, even though it is brief and comparatively inconspicuous, lends an aura of significance to most publicized subjects. Mass Communication plays an important role in our society; its purpose is to inform the public about current and past events. Mass communication is defined as the process whereby professional communicators use technological devices to share messages over great distances, to influence large audiences. Within this process, the social media, which can be a Instagram, a book, twitter, Facebook, etc. takes control of the information we see or hear. The social media then uses gate keeping and agenda setting to control our access to news, information and entertainment.

Asemah and Edegoh (2012) also noted that the social media have a crucial role to play in setting the agenda of peace in Nigeria and to do this effectively, there has to be objective reporting. Asemah and Edegoh (2012) argued that the social media practitioners must learn how to remove themselves from the stories that they are reporting and report objectively. One other area that needs to be touched is the area of sensationalism. The social media must not sensationalize; it motivates the parties in a crisis or crisis to carry out more havoc. The duty of the social media in crisis situation is to set the agenda of peace so that the crisis should be resolved. The social media sets agenda of social change in every modern society. According to Asemah (2009), through the social media of mass communication, the community members can be bound together. The mass social media binds communities together, by giving messages that become a shared experience. The social media plays an important role in integrating the members of the society, thus, in times of crisis, whether religious, ethnic or political, the social media of mass communication can be used to preach peaceful coexistence, thereby, bringing about peace. Commenting on the role of the social media in crisis management, Obot, in Nwosu and Wilson (2004), notes that: In resolving crisis in modern societies, the social media, to a great extent, provides rendezvous for all the interest groups or the aggrieved parties to sit and express their minds on issues in contention. This would be possible by providing and guaranteeing every citizen, easy access to social media facilities.

CHAPTER THREE

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

Crisis itself is natural in any society. Disagreement and resolution is the essence of constructive change. However, a clash of interests, values, actions or directions often sparks a crisis which becomes violent, at terrible cost and losses for the society. The social media, especially the news social media, is now well-recognized as a critical influence in whether societies resort to violent crisis or not. Many of the crisis and social media influence appear directly related to journalistic quality of the news social media in those countries and regions where crisis brews or boils over. Given their influence, socially responsible journalists are obliged to constantly consider and appraise their own and competing social media’s coverage of crisis within and between their communities and borders’ (International Institute for Journalism, 2010, p.2).

The social media is a key player in crisis situations all over the world. The nonexistence of the social media could create a big gap towards development, communication, and relationship building between states, entities, groups, and individuals. Of a truth the relevance of the social media cannot be overemphasized in any given society. It is called the fourth realm when it comes to societal control and its relationship with the government. At the same time the social media can be used as a tool by the government against its citizens. When the social media is not neutral, there is always a problem of having a reliable report and presentation of facts and figures of events. In plateau state, crisis that occurred have caught the attention of the social media leading to quick access to information bringing about the state carrying out serious measures in handling violent crisis in Plateau State the indigenous tribes have been fighting Hausa incursions since the 19th century. The territory Jos now occupies was successfully defended in the late 19^th century against attempted – Jihadist penetration from neighboring Bauchi, the nearest outpost of the Sokoto Caliphate. (Morrison 1982) Beginning in the early 20^th century, after the British took over and Christian missionaries began reaching them, the Plateau peoples mostly converted tob Christianity. What a shame then (in Plateau eyes): under the Pax Britannica (roughly 1900 to 1960), Hausas and other northern Muslims finally found it possible to occupy parts of the Plateau. They entered and settled peacefully to work in the tin mines, farm, leatherworks, cut nails and hair, teach the Qur’an, trade or do business and no doubt for many other reasons as well.

POPULATION SIZE

Jos North LGA extends over an area of 291km² with a total population of 429,300, projected from the 2006 National Population and Housing Census, with 266,66 (62%) being urban dwellers and 163,134 (38%) rural dwellers. In 2009, the National Population Commission estimated population of Jos North LGA as 439,217 comprising of 220,856 males and 216,361 females. It was estimated that 3000 pregnancies occurred per annum.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION

DATA PRESENTATION

Response Rate

The study targeted a sample size of 60 respondents. All the issued questionnaires were returned but only 55 were duly filled. The researcher only considered the dully filled questionnaires for analysis. This accounted for approximately 92% response rate thus ideal for the study analysis to progress. The response rate is represented on Table 4.1

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

SUMMARY

The research covered the introductory and the background to the study. The methods used in carrying out the research concerning the ‘Role of Social media in Crisis management’ processes. It was understood that the social media either play a positive role or negative roles in crisis which will either lead to reconciliation and development or destruction by the parties in the crisis. The target of operation was focused at Jos North LGA in Plateau state and an assessment of the roles played by the social media during the crisis experienced.

A literature review on the role of the social media in crisis situations was done to have an understanding of the views of scholars, professionals, and other social media outfits. The theories that were formed from previous study on the social media were discussed and how it affects crisis management/transformation positively or negatively. A discussion on the historical perspective of Plateau crisis and the methods used in gathering data were made clear in the study. These helped the researcher make more clarifications on the processes of discussion and assessment of results or data. An analysis and presentation of the critical role of the social media on the Plateau crisis was discussed, how it affects development, and the ways the government and public see it as an instrument of manipulation or instrument to achieve set goals was discussed in the study.

CONCLUSION

The social media is well known to be an influential fourth realm in any given sovereign state especially a democratic state like Nigeria. It has serious stake in crisis situations of which its role is important. Just like the Plateau crisis all over the state, the social media has played different roles in one way or the other in the peace and crisis processes. There are factors that are brought into the process as reportage is made and ventilated to the public. Reports of crisis and their occurrence either arouse the violent tendency of parties in crisis or bringing them together to calm for peace and justice. Crisis occurrences have received fast tracking speed in escalating crisis while have has theirs in speedily resolving the crisis. It all depends on the individual or group involved in the reportage. If there is tendency of being biased, then reports will not be properly sent to the public.

Social media and journalism can be a great assistance in crisis management and peace building. However, the power they have is also limited, as they will never be able to eliminate armed crisis altogether. The social media can be a good tool in a healthy and functioning environment but more is needed than ethical and responsible reporting to ensure lasting peace and safety. The role of the social media is twofold: on the one hand, the social media report and reflect on pressing issues and can help to question established concepts and ideas. On the other hand, they can be used for propaganda purposes and instead of revealing truths, try to cover things up and by this curtail people’s freedom and right to information. Regardless, the potential of the social media in crisis and post-crisis situations remains a net positive, and has been sadly underutilized to this point in time.

When properly related to the public with the intention of calming tension and bringing windows of opportunities up for change then a positive contributive role is put into display. Sometimes as an influential instrument in the society, the members of the social media exploit the opportunity to cause more harm while others are sometimes caught impersonating. Crisis are challenges societies faced in certain times. They are either used to develop a society, or used to destroy a society. The available tools used in managing and transforming crisis such as the social media need a serious attention by the government and people of Plateau state. Crisis in itself is neither positive nor negative but the choice of action we made either makes it productive or destructive.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations preferred from the research for a better role of the social media in

crisis are:

The social media can serve an informing and educating function by securing a free flow of accurate and constructive information, counteracting misperceptions, identifying the interests underlying the issues, and helping to build a consensus. This may include providing information about human rights as much as about the principles of good governance and parliamentary democracy and democratic election.
The social media can further build confidence and social mediate between crisising parties by fostering communication, generating alternative options to violent crisis, reflecting the ordinary person’s desire and need for peace, communicating the process of negotiations to the constituencies involved and providing a forum for on-going dialogue.
Third, they may act as a watchdog on leaders to help ensure long-term accountability, monitor human rights violations and, in a broader sense, provide some early warning on potential escalations of the crisis.
The appropriateness and effectiveness of these activities will vary not only according to the type and phase of the crisis, but also according to the role that the social media have played within the crisis dynamics. These factors must be analyzed and determined in a pre- project assessment.
Since the essence of crisis management is the transformation of mentalities, both within the society and the individual, societies have to be involved from the top-down and the bottom-up. The social media have the potential to be a gateway through which to reach the largest possible number of people.
As a serious and influential stakeholder in the society, the social media should critically analyze reports before disseminating to the public to prevent uncertainties.
Neutrality of the social media is very important. Social media should enhance their skills on neutrality and proper delivery of accurate information to the public.
The social media should not be allowed to be controlled by external forces and personalities like politicians and other groups without the interest of Plateau state.
The social media should have access to information from the State Government and make clear what the public needs to know.
Tribalism and religion should be put out of the profession as individuals could be taken off guard to be bias and develop hatred in crisis situations in Plateau state.

SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER STUDY

A research of this nature cannot be exhaustive in covering the area of investigation. Despite the success of this study, many issues still remain unresolved while others also evolved during the study. The paradigm shift in communication has led to the growth of social media. The study suggests research to be undertaken in areas of social media (WhatsApp and mobile telephony) and crisis management. Further analysis in the research topic should be done using multiple factor correlation to assess the inter-variable relationships. Lastly, the study suggests further study to be carried out to determine why the study area has always been the epicenter of crisis.

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