ABSTRACT
This
research investigates the influence of new media on public opinion and cyber
activism. However, cyber activism or online activism or better called internet
activism has been a grown concept on the internet for a long time in Western
world but a new innovation in developing or Africa continent as the continent
just embraced ICT in less than two decades. Survey research method was adopted
to elicit data from online respondents. One hundred (100) copies of
questionnaire were sent via email of which 90 copies of the questionnaires were
returned for data analysis. Findings shown that new media particularly social
media have reshaped human communication system. This notion is attested to as
all (90) respondents are using one new media/social media for one reason or the
other. Also, majority of the respondents logged in regularly on facebook,
followed by twitter and Whatsapp usually on a daily basis. In addition, new
media/social media has great benefit to cyber activism. Some of the challenges hindering new media/social media
in achieving effective cyber activism in Nigeria is lack of trust among the
users, cyber activists efforts are not recognized, poor credibility of sources,
and because youth lack interest in activism. It is recommended that facebook,
twitter, whatshap and other social media users should ensured they understand
why they are using and joining the new media or social media sites in the first
place so as to maximum its benefit. Also, special new media or social media
might be designed solely for cyber activism right from it name and with that,
only individual who love activism or who are activists will join.
