The vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Prof Olalekan Asikhia has presented a blue print of how local newspapers can reinvent themselves in the digital age.
Speaking yesterday at the Journalism Outlook Conference 2026 organised by the university in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Prof Asikhia submitted that local newspapers today face so many challenges listing these to include unprecedented disruption, a rewriting of newsroom operations by artificial intelligence, the advent of social media as well as the concept of citizen journalism.
Declaring before the audience that the question is no longer whether newspapers should transform, but that the key question is how they can reinvent themselves while preserving their essential democratic mission
Artificial Intelligence is rewriting newsroom operations. Social media has become the first source of information for millions. Digital advertising has migrated to technology platforms.
Citizen journalism has altered the speed of information dissemination. Audience attention has become fragmented. Meanwhile, misinformation spreads faster than verified news.
Prof Olalekan Asikhia second from left, with other dignitaries during the press conference
Affirming that the challenge is not peculiar to the Nigerian environment alone, but a continent-wide one, he listed factors exacerbating the challenge for African newspapers to include the following: declining print circulation, reduced advertising revenues, rising operational costs, competition from digital-first media, shorter audience attention spans, algorithm-driven information consumption, AI-generated content, and declining trust in institutions
Referencing the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, he informed that more than half of global news consumers now access news primarily through digital platforms, while younger audiences increasingly rely on social media, podcasts, newsletters, and video-based content.
“Yet paradoxically, surveys consistently show that local journalism remains one of the most trusted sources of public information whenever it demonstrates credibility, independence, and community relevance. This presents an enormous opportunity”.
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For Professor Asikhia, the digital age is not the end of newspapers, it rather killed obsolete business models, as people have not stopped consuming news; but have simply changed how they consume it.
“The real product has never been paper. The real product is credible information.
“What newspapers must now reinvent is not journalism itself but content delivery, audience engagement, revenue generation, newsroom culture, and technological capability”.
Underscoring the argument that local newspapers do matter, he listed a number of factors why these is so, including accountability, Identity, Community Building, Development Communication as well as their contribution to democracy
“No social media influencer can consistently replace investigative local journalism.
“No algorithm understands community priorities better than journalists embedded within those communities”, he stated.
Presenting what he describes as the seven pillars that will facilitate the reinvention of local newspapers in the digital age, he identified Digital-First, Not Print-First as the first pillar submitting that this paradigm shift means having on ground, responsive websites, mobile applications, multimedia storytelling, podcasts and short-form videos
Others prerequisites according to him are interactive graphics, live reporting and personalised newsletters
The other pillars he spoke about are AI as a newsroom partner, hyperlocal journalism, audience-centred journalism, sustainable business models, trust as competitive advantage and collaboration Instead of competition
“The future belongs to newspapers that create value—not merely content. The newspaper of tomorrow will not simply report the future, it will help create it”, Professor Asikhia submitted.
Cami Ezenwa is a Writer, Editor, Publicist, Biographer and Journalism Trainer
He has worked with the Daily Times, Daily Independent, Financial Standard and Business Television to mention some.
His ongoing Corporate Communications Master Class training series equips learners with credible hands-on skills for effective Media Relations, Public Communications & Corporate Affairs amongst others.
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