Perception and interest in entrepreneurial journalism practice among graduating students of selected universities in Nigeria

Abstract As the media industry undergoes dynamic transformations, there is an increasing need for journalism graduates to possess entrepreneurial skills to navigate the evolving digital landscape. This study sought to evaluate the existing initiatives, strategies, and challenges in nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset among journalism students in Nigerian universities. The study employed the survey method, specifically focusing on graduating journalism students from four institutions (Nile University of Nigeria, Baze University, Veritas University and National Open University of Nigeria) within the FCT. Key aspects investigated include the incorporation of entrepreneurial concepts into the curriculum, the availability of resources and support systems for entrepreneurial endeavors, the perceptions of students regarding the effectiveness of the current journalism curriculums as well as their interest in towing entrepreneurial journalism careers. The results suggest that graduating journalism students exhibit mixed yet generally positive disposition towards certain areas of their entrepreneurial journalism education. Their views about their experiences developing media business proposals, as well as understudying entrepreneurial journalism start-ups, yielded low mean values, indicating an unfavourable perception in this area. Despite their keen interest in multiple career domains in entrepreneurial journalism practice, almost half are skeptical to pursue this interest due to the perceived socio-structural and economic challenges entrepreneurs face in Nigeria. In response to these findings, the study recommends enhancing journalism curricula with specialized modules in entrepreneurial skills development; establishing collaborative industry-academia initiatives to bridge theory-practice gap; and for government and policy makers to work hand-in-hand in creating enabling environments where entrepreneurial ideas and ventures thrive in the country. Key Words: Entrepreneurship; Journalism; Education; Nigeria; Survey About the Authors Abdullateef Mohammed is a doctoral candidate in Mass Communication at the National Open University of Nigeria, and an Assistant Lecturer in the Mass Communication Department of the Nile University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria. ** Lateef Adelakun, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and the Head of the Mass Communication Department of the National Open University of Nigeria. His research focuses on development communication and new media. *** Jonathan Aliede, Ph.D., is a Professor of Mass Communication at the National Open University of Nigeria. He specialises in Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing. JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 16, No. 1, April 2024, pp. 205 - 216 © Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON). Article Citation Mohammed, A., Adelakun, L. & Aliede, J. (2024). Perception and interest in entrepreneurial journalism practice among graduating students of selected universities in Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 16 (1): 205-216. Full Article Words: 6,895 Pages: 12 To access full article, click on download.