Agenda Setting in the Digital Age: Media Experts Lady Umukoro, Dr. Jamiu Assess the Role of Journalists and Influencers

By Toheeb Babalola

Over the years, before the advancements in digital infrastructure, such as the internet, mobile networks, and devices, traditional media—newspapers and radio—were major sources for people in obtaining credible and truthful information. These media outlets have been known to ethically and independently drive public discourse through human-oriented editorial and news pieces, purposefully holding policymakers accountable for what matters to their citizens. Hence, the media derives its natural power in agenda setting as the fourth estate of the realm.

The issue surrounding the suppression of media outputs by the government, through sanctions, fines, and withholding licenses of media organizations, triggered online and citizen journalism. The internet and social media guarantee democratization of information; users leverage freedom of expression as enshrined in international human rights codes around the world. As of mid-2025, Nigeria has approximately 107 million internet users, representing about 45.4% internet penetration of the total country population. Despite losing 1 million users in the first half of the year, Nigeria is ranked 10th among nations with the highest number of internet users. This empowers social media influencers to hijack the role of agenda setting from journalists. A single post, either true or false, from an influencer goes viral more than a publication from a media organization.

In a recent “Making Media Make Sense” X-Space Conversation, media experts, including the Founder and Publisher of Lightray! Media, Lady Ejiro Umukoro, and Media Lecturer at Crescent University, Abeokuta, Dr. Folarin Jamiu, shed light on the collision between influencers and journalists on agenda setting.

Loss of Agenda Setting in Mainstream

Umukoro argued that Nigerian media have been heavily politicized through ownership control, claiming major outlets are owned by politicians and are being utilized in serving political rather than public interests. She stated that political conversation has been elevated as primary saleable content over community-centered or development-focused journalism. “We no longer have an agenda set for the public interest, but we have an agenda set for political conversation,” she said. “‘Content is king’ philosophy positioned listeners as completely subject to media messaging without reciprocal engagement. But we lost it. The evolution from telling audiences ‘what to think’ to controlling both ‘what to think and how to think’ represents a dangerous expansion of media power,” Umukoro said.

Jamiu, buttressing Umukoro, said that the federal government indirectly controls agenda setting through hiking media licensing fees, limiting individuals from owning broadcast stations for public interest. “The presidential licensing requirement through the National Broadcasting Commission creates monopolistic control over broadcast media establishment,” he said.

Social Media Influencers Overtaking Amid Misinformation

Umukoro explained that digital platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn—are now in control of media governance through algorithmic amplification rather than traditional editorial control, noting that social media democratization has disrupted traditional gatekeeping but replicated existing biases from legacy media. She stated further that social media influencers have aided journalists in setting trends while they employ professional ethics in driving public interest topics.

Jamiu also affirmed that social media influencers have curbed story suppression in traditional media, saying a single social media post can expose information regardless of editorial control. He insisted that mainstream media retains authority as a verification source despite social media proliferation, arguing that professional standards differentiate journalism from social media content through ethical rigor and fact-checking protocols. “People see mainstream media as their last bus stop for confirmation of social media information. Influencers are known for pushing false or paid agendas into circulation,” Jamiu added.

Collaborate, Don’t Compete

In setting a better agenda, Jamiu preferred collaboration rather than competition with social media influencers to improve overall information quality. He suggested media literacy training for social media handlers to actively correct misinformation in online engagement rather than passive headline posting. “Journalists and influencers should develop community-centered topics that address local audience needs and concerns; implement fact-checking protocols for social media comment sections. Journalists should also focus on solution-oriented journalism rather than solely negative news reporting and pursue continuous professional development in technological tools and digital platforms.”