THE ROLE OF DIGITAL MEDIA IN CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF TRADITIONAL JOURNALISM AND NEWS CONSUMPTION IN LAFIA, NASARAWA STATE

This study investigated The Role of Digital Media in Changing the Landscape of Traditional Journalism and News Consumption in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The research examined how digital platforms, particularly social media, are reshaping news consumption patterns and challenging the dominance of traditional journalism. The study was anchored on Media Dependency Theory and Uses and Gratifications Theory. A survey method was adopted, with 150 questionnaires distributed and 138 valid responses retrieved, representing a 92% response rate. Findings revealed that a majority of respondents consume news daily, with WhatsApp and Facebook emerging as the most preferred digital platforms. Social media has displaced traditional sources such as newspapers, radio, and television, while traditional journalists face challenges such as reduced audience reach, digital competition, and poor funding. The study further discovered that 84% of respondents encounter fake news often, while only 26.1% always verify news before sharing. Despite these concerns, 56.5% agreed that digital media has improved access to credible news. The study concludes that digital media has fundamentally reshaped journalism in Lafia, presenting both opportunities (speed, accessibility, inclusivity) and challenges (credibility, misinformation, sustainability). It recommends integrating digital tools into traditional journalism, promoting media literacy, strengthening fact-checking mechanisms, and introducing balanced regulatory frameworks. The research contributes to knowledge by providing empirical evidence on how digital media is transforming journalism and news consumption in Lafia and offers practical recommendations for sustaining credibility in the digital news ecosystem.