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The wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming all spheres of human life. AI is continuously expanding, shaping the future of humanity and raising important ethical and societal implications. Hence, this study explored the bandwagon effect of AI and its use among media houses in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted the ethnographic qualitative design, chiefly utilising focus group discussion (FGD to gain rich empirical insight into the phenomenon. Twelve media professionals were purposively sampled for the FGD. The study found that AI is becoming more prevalent in Oyo State, Nigerian media houses for tasks like generating content, analysing data, verifying facts, and managing social media. The study concluded that AI is revolutionising the media industry and can serve as a competitive edge for media houses that embrace it, bearing in mind that responsible use, ethical considerations, and technical challenges are crucial for harnessing AI’s potential.

The study looked at how newspapers report stories on African Union (AU) activities among the West African English-speaking nations. Power struggles and dominance are among the prevalent issues that nations contend with as members of the African Union. Therefore, there is a need to look at the prominence given to the AU by newspapers in different countries among the member states. The study used content analysis to investigate newspaper coverage of AU activities in five countries, examining one newspaper from each of the five chosen countries. Findings revealed that a newspaper from the Gambia devoted the highest coverage to AU activities among the five countries examined. The study concludes that more newspapers in diverse countries among AU members should equally be included in a study that involves AU activities to gauge power struggles and dominance among the member nations.

Political parties, politicians, and voters are sharing more political information on social media due to its broad use. Researchers and politicians have explored how social media has been used over time for political participation; although there is a dearth of studies on the usage of social media among postgraduate students for online political campaigns, there is a need to fill the gap. This study assessed how the online political participation of postgraduate students affected social media political campaigns using agenda melding theory to support the study. The study employed the descriptive survey methodology, and 309 postgraduate students were sampled using the simple random sampling technique. Findings revealed that the credibility of the source emerged as the major factor that shaped online political participation. Also, findings established a significantly positive relationship between social media political campaigns and online political participation. The researchers concluded that political campaigns on social media were effective in influencing online participation. It is thus the recommendation of this study that political actors should engage more with social media campaigns to make it more issue-based to engage in online political participation.

The objective of this study was to ascertain the impact of social media-based dance therapy in reducing symptoms of depression among evacuees of the Russia–Ukraine war. The participants were randomly assigned to no dance therapy (n = 162) and social media-based dance therapy groups (n = 162). The dance therapy group took part in 12 sessions of dance therapy while the no dance therapy group did not receive any intervention. The result showed that before the dance therapy intervention, participants in both groups reported severe depression symptoms. After the intervention, participants in the dance therapy group dropped from severe depression to normal depression while those in the no dance therapy group dropped to major depression. During the follow-up assessment after 3 months, participants in the no dance therapy group reported moderate depression while those in the dance therapy group still maintained their normal depression classification with a drop in their depression score from 46 to 26. Overall, the result showed that there was a significant main effect of time and the depression score of the participants, F(1,304) 203.143, p = 0.001, eta = 0.401. No interactive effect of gender and the impact of the treatment on reduction in depression symptoms was detected, F(1,304) 3.232, p = 0.073. However, there was a significant main effect of treatment condition on depression symptoms, F(1,304) 495.023, p = 0.001. We highlighted the implication of these results on health promotion.

This study investigated newspaper coverage of foreign debts among African countries, considering it from the perspectives of Nigerian newspapers; with a focus on understanding the reasons for debt acquisition and the possible solutions towards repayment. The research employed a qualitative methodology using thematic analysis to explain the study. Two Nigerian newspapers: Vanguard and BusinessDay were purposively selected for the study from 2020 to 2023. A study analyzing 147 articles revealed that African countries borrow money for various reasons, including the need to finance budgets and strengthen fiscal frameworks. As a result, the study recommended the need for Nigerian newspapers to continually report the African foreign debt being the fourth estate of the realm, while at the same time encouraging the need for African unity to foster continental trade among nation-states with a pan-African orientation.

This paper examines freedom of expression, government, and individual rights. The ‘media’ has played a vital role in informing and influencing the public's attitude towards society, and it has served as the watchdog and mouthpiece of its audience. The term media is an intervening part through which intuition, notion, belief and opinion are communicated to the common sense or vast segment of people simultaneously or differently. It is also a channel of communication through print, broadcast and the Internet. Human rights in Nigeria are secured under the pillar of the 1999 Constitution; the media plays a crucial role in both protecting and promoting human rights by acting as a watchdog, informing the public, and holding power accountable to the public. The media is also called the Fourth Estate because it has a societal role to observe the political process, shape the political atmosphere and hold political office holders accountable to the public. Once citizens choose their representatives in government, media men make sure politicians fulfil their promises by holding them accountable to the people. Journalists make sure that the government works to benefit society and respects the democratic system. This study used social responsibility theory to explain the work and the outcome of the paper, suggesting that freedom of the media is the solution to freedom of expression. However, it was recommended that the media should be encouraged to perform their duties as the fourth estate of the realm without withholding, gagging or restriction because information is power.

This study examined the effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Nigerian journalists reporting violence in Nigeria. The study utilised a quasi-experimental design with the between-within-subject model. The sample size was 580 Nigerian journalists reporting three selected violent activities-banditry, farmers/herders conflict and separatist agitation. The analysis showed that prior to the intervention, all the journalists reported high mean scores on PTSD symptoms. However, the post-intervention analysis revealed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms of journalists in the CBT group, but those in the non-CBT group did not significantly improve. A follow-up evaluation after 12 months revealed a steady decline in the PTSD symptoms of journalists in the CBT group. Still, those in the non-CBT group did not record a significant reduction. No significant interacting effect of gender was detected. However, there was a significant interactive effect of perceived organizational support on the treatment condition, p = 0.001, η p 2  = 0.052. We highlighted the implications of these results on control master theory and journalism practice.

This study explores the intersection of the Olojo festival and the Ooni of Ile-Ife in Yorubaland, focusing on extramundane communication. Through sacred rituals, ceremonies, and artifacts, the research reveals how the festival facilitates communication between the physical and metaphysical realms. Using ritual theory and a qualitative research approach, the study examines the role of rituals in enabling communication between humans and supernatural entities. The findings show that the festival creates a liminal space for extramundane communication through Gbajure chant, Aare crown, Osirigi drums, and Ewo songs. This allows the Ooni and participants to connect with the divine and access spiritual wisdom, guidance, and blessings. The research recommends that future research should interrogate the socioeconomic and sociopolitical dimensions of the festival’s transcendental communication, particularly how its metaphysical aspects intersect with contemporary power structures.

This study compared extramundane communication in Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions to examine its roles in the selection, installation, and transition of monarchs in Yorubaland across the three religions. Key informants' interviews, non-participant observation, and documentary methods were used for data collection, while comparative analysis and textual analysis approaches were adopted to analyse the data collected for the study. The findings revealed similarities and differences in how these religions approach extramundane communication, highlighting the significance of religions in Yoruba kingship. The study’s conclusion indicates that acknowledging and honouring the roles of extramundane communication of the three religions in Yoruba kingship can promote harmony and mutual understanding among all the stakeholders in various Yoruba kingdoms, which in turn can help reduce the misunderstanding, acrimony, and tension often generated among the adherents of Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions over the selection, installation, and transition of kings in Yorubaland.

This study investigated how the stylistic characteristics of Nigerian satirical skits on social media influence audience engagement, utilizing the Satire as Humorous Discourse theory. A quantitative content analysis was conducted on 106 skits and 10,600 comments from four prominent comedians (Mr. Macaroni, Zady Soko, MC Tagwaye, and Kelvinblak). A multiple regression analysis was used to examine the predictive power of aggressiveness, critique focus, and creator style on various engagement metrics. Findings reveal that aggressiveness exhibits a dual effect: it is a significant negative predictor of direct interactions but a strong positive predictor of emotional reactions, suggesting a trade-off in audience response. Furthermore, a focus on specific policy was found to be a more effective catalyst for emotional engagement than targeting a politician’s character, highlighting the audience’s preference for substantive critique. The study also confirms that a comedian’s unique style can be a significant factor in a skit’s success, as exemplified by one comedian’s superior performance (Kelvinblak) in generating emotional reactions. The results collectively indicate that the form and content of online satire are crucial filters for audience engagement, with different stylistic choices leading to distinct types of audience response. This research’s primary contribution is the empirical quantification of satire’s civic impact on digital platforms. Our findings introduce the “Paradox of Laughter” into the Satire as Humorous Discourse theory, demonstrating that while aggressive content suppresses conversational engagement, it significantly amplifies emotional response, thus clarifying the conditions under which stylistic choices either encourage or suppress measurable engagement with political accountability.