Role of Citizen Journalism in Covering Rural Issues in Borno State

This study examines the role of citizen journalism in covering rural and conflict-affected community issues in Borno State, North East Nigeria, where mainstream media access is severely limited by insecurity and infrastructure challenges. Citizen journalism, produced by non-professional community members using mobile phones and social media platforms, has become an important source of information from conflict-affected areas where professional journalists cannot operate safely. This study uses a qualitative methodology combining in-depth interviews with 20 active citizen journalists in Maiduguri, Bama, and Jere local government areas, analysis of citizen journalism content shared through Facebook groups and WhatsApp platforms monitored over three months, and focus group discussions with 35 community members assessing their news consumption and credibility assessment of citizen-generated content. Findings reveal that citizen journalists in Borno State primarily cover displacement camp conditions, food distribution inequities, sexual violence, and local security updates, topics systematically underreported by mainstream media. Smartphone use for information gathering is near-universal among sampled citizen journalists, but training in verification, safety protocols, and ethical reporting is limited or absent. Audiences in affected communities rate citizen journalism as significantly more locally relevant than national media despite lower perceived formal credibility. Intimidation and safety threats are experienced by 75 percent of sampled citizen journalists. The study concludes that citizen journalism fills a critical information gap in Borno but requires structural support. It recommends safety training, verification partnerships with professional media, and legal protection advocacy for citizen journalists.

Keywords: citizen journalism, conflict reporting, Borno State, community media, North East Nigeria.