Exploring audience engagement strategies of data journalism practices in Nigerian online news media

Abstract

Despite the growing momentum of data analysis in Africa, scholarly attention has largely overlooked the promotion of data-driven content for enhanced audience engagement. Grounded in the sociology of news paradigm, this study examines engagement practices of online news platforms in Nigeria and explores the potential influence of audience engagement metrics on editorial decision-making. The in-depth interview research method was adopted for the study. Heads of data journalism units in four purposively selected online news media platforms in Nigeria with established data journalism practices were sampled as respondents for the study. The study identifies six innovative strategies being adopted by online news media in Nigeria to enhance audience engagement. Findings also confirm the centrality of audience engagement metrics to news-making decisions, but with the understanding to also consider the potential societal impact of stories in determining issues to produce data-driven content on. The implication for data journalism practice in Nigeria and its positioning for greater societal impact is discussed.