An Appraisal of Citizen Journalism in Democracy and Good Governance: Focus on EndSars Protest in Nigeria

This study is entitled: “An Appraisal of Citizen Journalism in Democracy and Good Governance: Focus on EndSars Protest in Nigeria.†The aim of the study is to appraise the role of citizens Journalism in democracy and good governance with a special focus on EndSars protest in Nigeria. Anchored on the democratic participant media theory which is concerned about individual citizen’s right to access to the media. The study, incline to the quantitative approach, adopts the survey design method with data were collected through the instrument of a questionnaire which was administered on 150 respondents in Nigeria using simple random sampling method. Findings from the study reveals that citizens journalism contributed to the success of the EndSars protest in Nigeria through different ways such as constant posting of information about the protest, creating awareness about the protest, setting agenda for public discussion in the media and telling Nigerians how the government and the police have failed. Findings further reveals that through sharing of pictures and video clips of victims of police brutality, exposing atrocities committed by members of the Sars group, encouraging Nigerians on the need for police reform and encouraging Nigerians on the need to EndSars and police brutality made many citizens all over the country to join the protest. The study concludes that Citizen Journalism has become an essential part of modern-day society because it has given voice to the voiceless especially in a diversified society like Nigeria. It therefore, recommends the convention media to encourage and train the citizen journalists who can be an asset to them.