ASSESSMENT OF NEWS GATHERING PRACTICE BY JOURNALISTS IN AKWA IBOM STATE IN A DEPRESSED ECONOMY (A STUDY OF AKWA IBOM NEWSPAPER CORPORATION)

This study examined the assessment of news gathering practice by journalists in Akwa Ibom State in a depressed economy. The objectives of the study were to find out the challenges journalists face during news gathering, to examine the ethical dilemmas associated with news gathering practice, and to assess the role of technology and innovation in news gathering in Akwa Ibom State during this depressed economic situation. The scope of the study was restricted to staff of Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation, Uyo. The research design adopted the survey research method anchored on Practice Theory and Agenda-setting theory. The instrument for data gathering was a structured questionnaire designed in line with the research objectives and questions with a total of 32 copies of questionnaires distributed to journalists in the newspaper firm and 25 copies were found useful for the study. The data collected from the study were analysed using statistics and frequency tables. Simple random sampling technique was used by the researcher. Findings were discussed using the research questions and data collected revealed that journalists in Akwa Ibom State face numerous challenges and ethical dilemmas which hampers the journalistic practice in this depressed economic situation. The finding also revealed that the level of technology and innovation in news gathering is high and recommended that journalists in Akwa Ibom State should be regularly motivated and rewarded (financially and security wise) in other not to stifle news gathering practice. Finally, it recommended that government should improve on the economic situation of the state and the country as a whole, so that all business sectors including media organization would be able to solve the challenges they face.