Media Convergence: Prospects and Challenges for Public Relations Practice in Nigeria

Abstract

he impact of new media of communication is not felt only in the media space but across all strata of mass communication discipline. Public relations as an act of managing relationship between an organization and its various public depend largely on media of communication to succeed. As a result, the tactic, strategy and approach of public relations in terms of communication management largely depend on the media of communication. As such, the convergence of the traditional and new media has brought about drastic change in the public relations field. In Nigeria, public relations professionals are grappling with the new reality brought about by media convergence. This paper therefore explored the challenges the public relations practitioners are likely to encounter and how to surmount those challenges. The study argued that as a dynamic profession, public relations should embrace new skills in desktop publishing, multimedia communication and strategies. Convergence is ‘digital creative economy’ which comes with great opportunity for the practice of public relations. Convergence is about ‘blurring of boundaries’, Nigerian public relations practitioners should therefore adapt quickly to changes in the media sector in order to leverage on the opportunities in the convergence of the media. Keywords: Convergence: Public Relations: Communication: Mass Media: Nigeria