Integration and Gatekeeping of User-Generated Content in Ghanaian Newsrooms: A Study of Tv3, Citi Fm and Daily Graphic

Abstract

The upsurge of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) has provided various platforms for individuals traditionally considered audiences of legacy media products to assume journalistic roles of gathering and disseminating information. With the immediacy that these platforms offer, content generated by users (eye-witness reports, personal human interest stories, et cetera) have become widely adopted sources of news. Editorial standards such as those adhered to in mainstream media production are, however, often lacking in the news production processes of users across these internet-based platforms. However, mainstream media outlets are increasingly integrating this content into their news products, maintaining their primacy as gatekeepers of news and controlling the effects of unfiltered user-generated content (UGC). Although previous studies have shown that Ghanaian newsrooms integrate UGC in their operations, scholars have not as yet focused on the gatekeeping processes UGC is subjected to. The present study, therefore, sought to investigate the gatekeeping processes UGC is subjected to in Ghanaian newsrooms, as well as the factors that influence these processes. By observing newsroom practices and interviewing journalists at a television station (TV3), a radio station (Citi FM) and a newspaper (Daily Graphic), the study found that verification, moderation, training and message reconstruction were the main gatekeeping processes UGC are subjected to. These processes were predominantly guided by ethical/professional standards, organisational standards, and cultural/legal implications. Also, Facebook’s algorithm facilitated journalists’ moderation of UGC online, while accessible/affordable software such as GeoTweet and Google Maps (location of posts); Adobe PhotoShop (doctored photos); and Grammarly (plagiarised content) were used for verification. The study concluded that although Ghanaian mainstream media were engaged in processes of gatekeeping, newsrooms lacked advanced technology to control the rise of fake news and misinformation associated with UGC.