INFLUENCE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNALISM ON FREELANCE JOURNALISTS IN THE SHRINKING MEDIA INDUSTRY IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

Entrepreneurial journalism is gaining popularity in Nigeria's entrepreneurial and
media discourses. The worsening unemployment issues in Nigeria have made freelance
journalists devise creative means to survive the onslaught of job crises. Thus, this study is
designed to investigate the influence of entrepreneurial journalism on freelance journalists in
South-Western Nigeria. The study adopted a mixed method. The survey method and paired
depth interview were used to investigate the influence of entrepreneurial journalism on
freelance journalistic practice, techniques of entrepreneurial journalism, and barriers to
entrepreneurial journalism among freelance journalists. Findings showed that economic factors
have compelled most freelance journalists to embrace entrepreneurial journalistic practices.
Findings also showed that blogging, YouTube videos, and other audio and video content on
social media are the techniques of entrepreneurial journalism in South-Western Nigeria.
Findings showed that lack of objectivity and fairness in news reportage, as well as monetary
consideration over balanced news reportage, has been a barrier to entrepreneurial journalistic
practices in South-Western Nigeria. Therefore, it is recommended that entrepreneurial
journalists not only consider the ethics of journalism in their daily journalistic activities but
also be mindful of the unwholesome influence of excessive attention to economic
considerations in their journalistic practices. Entrepreneurial values of all digital and social
media-based platforms must be taught to students of mass communication and journalism to
make them self-employed and self-reliant when they eventually graduate from school. A
regulatory agency, like the National Broadcast Commission, that regulates the affairs and
activities of all broadcasting stations in Nigeria, must be established to regulate the activities
of entrepreneurial journalists who have their independent radio or television on the internet so
that the issues of lack of objectivity, fairness and unbalanced news reportage could be
addressed.