Department of Mass Communication

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Credibility of Social Media News in Broadcasting: A study of three Radio Stations in Port Harcourt.
(Department of Linguistics & Communication Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, 2020) Aniefiok, Udoudo; Osere, Janefrances Nkem
Social media news cannot be denied the speed with which it spreads once the news breaks and the reliance by the traditional mass media as sources of the news they publish. However, the credibility of social media news has been questioned by many. This paper seeks to examine the extent of credibility attached to breaking news on social media by Treasure FM, Nigeria Info and Family Love FM, all in Port Harcourt. The main objective of the study is to critically examine the use of social media news by the three radio stations in Port Harcourt and how they verify the reliability of the sources of such news. The research design used in the study is survey, with in-depth interview as the tool for data collection. Findings show that among the three radio stations, Treasure 98.5 FM put the credibility of social media news at 30%, the Nigeria Info 92.3 FM put the credibility of social media news at less than 50% while the Family Love 97.7 FM hardly sees any credibility in social media news. The three radio stations, however, agree that social media news is the most timely and cost effective when the source is verifiable. Among others, it is recommended that while the use of breaking news on social media can help in timely news broadcast and reduction in cost, it is necessary that radio stations carry out in-depth verification of social media news sources before such news stories are broadcast to avoid embarrassment to professionalism
ASSESSMENT OF CRISIS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT: A STUDY OF FLUTTERWAVE AND PAYSTACK
(Covenant University Ota, 2025-08) NWITE, Juliet Ngozi; Covenant University Dissertation
This study assessed crisis communication and social media usage for crisis management in the Nigerian Fintech sector, focusing on Flutterwave and Paystack. Guided by the Situational Crisis Communication Theory and the Social-Mediated Crisis Communication Model, the research adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining a cross-sectional survey of 400 respondents with descriptive content analysis of official crisis-related communications from the two companies. The objectives were to examine the extent of social media utilization for crisis management, identify the strategies employed, evaluate the influence of social media use on public reaction, and analyze public complaints regarding crisis communication on social media. The findings revealed that both Flutterwave and Paystack actively used social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), during crises. Flutterwave’s communication was characterized by frequent, real-time updates and direct engagement, while Paystack adopted a more measured approach with fewer but more detailed updates. Timeliness, transparency, and interactive engagement emerged as significant factors influencing public trust and perception. However, common complaints included delayed responses, insufficient detail in updates, and perceived lack of empathy in crisis communication. The study concludes that effective use of social media is essential for Fintech crisis management, as it directly impacts stakeholder trust and brand reputation. The study recommends enhancing real-time communication capacity, ensuring consistency of messages across platforms, integrating empathy and transparency into crisis communication, and using public sentiment analysis to refine crisis strategies. The research contributes to existing knowledge by providing empirical evidence on Fintech crisis communication in Nigeria, extending theoretical applications of SCCT and SMCC to an African context, and offering practical strategies for improving corporate crisis responses in the digital era.

Department of Mass Communication

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