Assessment of the Effect of New Communication Technologies on the Performance of Print Journalists in Nigeria

: This study borders on how new communication technologies affect the performance of print journalists and the implications on journalism practice in Nigeria. To carry out this investigation, research objectives, and research questions were raised. The questions raised in the study were: To what extent do new communication technologies affect the level of performance of print journalists in Nigeria? The challenges perceived by print journalists in the use of the new communication technologies in their operations in Nigeria? A number of relevant studies were reviewed to establish the gap in the literature, anchored on Technological Determinism theory. Explanatory mixed method design was used to achieve the objective of the study. The qualitative data were generated to shed more light on the quantitative data. The population of the study was made up of three hundred and eighty-nine (389) editorial staff of the Guardian, The Sun and Trust newspapers in Nigeria. The Krejcie & Morgan sample size formula was used to determine the sample size as one hundred and ninety-four (194) print journalists. Cluster and Purposive sampling techniques were combined for the selection of samples from the print journalists. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the quantitative data while notes from the interview schedule were transcribed, coded and analyzed using the hermeneutic interpretation method. The key findings of the study include that: new communication technologies have significant effect on the level of performance of print journalists in Nigeria; new communication technologies have significant influence on the improvement in quality of newspaper content, design and accessibility to readers in Nigeria. The study concluded that new communication technologies enhance the performance of print journalists in Nigeria; new communication technologies have made information communication available, affordable and accessible to print journalists for the effective performance of their duties in Nigeria. However, further studies should focus on the assessment of the effect of new communication technologies on the quality of product and services of print journalists in Nigeria (A case study of The Vanguard newspaper organization).


Introduction Background of the Study
Computer technology has revolutionized newspaper production and transformed newsgathering operations in Nigeria.There is a complete transformation from the days when traditional journalists used longhand, notepads, tape recorders (Midgets) and typewriters to gather stories which were communicated to the newsroom through fax, telegram, postal mail or post code (telephone messages).Print journalists including the editorial staff of The Guardian, The Sun, and Trust newspapers use computerized

Suggested Citation
Ani, G.E. (2023).Assessment of the Effect of New Communication Technologies on the Performance of Print Journalists in Nigeria.European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, 1(5), 93-110. DOI: 10.59324/ejtas.2023.1(5).08 editorial systems to write text, process images and report on news events.Robinson (2011) posits that "mobile phone, e-mail, instant messaging, photo-scanners, and laptop allow reporters to work from anywhere at any time" (p.1123).The advent of new communication technology has introduced devices such as the Internet, laptop, e-mail, mobile phone, modem, digital camera and digital recorder into journalism practice in Nigeria.Ikpe and Ibekwe (2007) seem to support this when they argued that "the reporter can type his stories, cast headlines and format it to meet a pre-determined space and house style" (p.318).Geetika (2010) opined that the news which was composed on linotype machines are now received through web based mechanism of agencies.New communication technology provides unlimited access to diverse information sources.Newspapers are now produced in two or more distribution sites through simultaneous printing technology in Nigeria.
In this study, new communication technology is used loosely to refer to the Internet, e-mail, laptop and mobile phone.The Internet is considered a source of opportunities for journalists, offering unlimited possibilities for enhancing journalistic enterprise (Chari, 2013, p.113).The Internet helps journalists to gather news and do their fact-checking or inquiries into facts and figures or background historical information directly from their homes or offices (Salman, Ibrahim, Hj.Abdullah, Mustaffa, and Mahbob (2011, p.7). Information can be sourced on millions of websites and other data banks across the world through the Internet at the press of a button.Talabi (2011, p.16) posits that "Internet enables the print journalists to harness the potentials of World Wide Web (www) in order to access, manipulate and download very large set of hypertext-linked documents and other files.According to Charis, 2013, p.117, the Internet has transformed the journalism profession.The Internet is still grappling with privacy issues, content, accuracy and reliability.
The mobile phone has enhanced the ability of print journalists to check and verify information before publishing, thus ensuring accuracy, balance, impartiality and completeness of stories (Chari, 2013, p. 128).The mobile phone has eased the job of reporters in the area of newsgathering and reproduction in the newspaper organization.Mobile phone is used to record speeches, conduct and report interviews, snap pictures, send text messages and verify information before publication.The mobile phone enables print journalists to gather news from every corner of the globe, improve the quality of stories, alert readers of breaking news, and send text messages to their newsrooms with relative ease.The e-mail communication enables print journalists to publish balanced and objective stories from long distance news sources.E-mail is used to send the same message simultaneously to multiple users.This simple gadget has made feedback between the reporter and the service station easier and faster.
However, the epileptic electric power supply and poor Internet connectivity in some parts of Nigeria have hindered the optimal use of new communication technologies to full capacity.Sometimes deadlines are not meet as a result of computer glitches, virus infection, obsolete or inadequate devices and surge in electricity power supply.
Earlier studies have shown that on-line journalism operation has increased the craze for unethical practices where unedited information is disseminated on web.Chari, 2013, posits that Internet has promoted lazy journalists because, instead of venturing outside and interacting with news source, journalists rely on the Internet to source news i.e. 'google journalists' (p.127).New media technologies have also been blamed for breeding print journalists with stunted creativity as a result of the new 'copy and paste culture' (Chari, 2013 p.113).The plummeting of revenue has caused many newspapers to slash news bureaus and journalists.Subscriptions from the government offices, academic facilities, and research institutes have also been drastically reduced since print readers could source any newspaper on the net free of charge.

Objectives of the Study
The general objective is to do an assessment of the effect of new communication technologies on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria.
The specific objectives are listed below:

•
To determine the extent to which new communication technologies affect the level of performance of print journalists in Nigeria.

•
To identify the challenges faced by print journalists in applying new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.

Statement of the Research Problem
The study investigated how new communication technologies affect the performance of print journalists and the implications of these technologies on journalism practice in Nigeria.
There are compelling reasons to conduct an investigation of this nature in order to help understand the implications of the Internet, email, laptop and mobile phone on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria.The beauty of new communication technologies is appreciated when someone looks at the way print journalists use these technologies to gather information, type stories on digital systems, take pictures, plan the newspaper pages and send the stories to the news editor unaided.It saves a lot of time and trouble.It makes the job easier and better than the traditional journalism practice in Nigeria.
New communication technologies cannot be optimally used in an environment where there is poor Internet penetration / coverage / connectivity in most rural areas in Nigeria.Print journalists go through harrowing experience to access the Internet due to lack of Internet coverage/congestions. Print journalists sometimes move from one community to another after an assignment, in search of where they could get Internet coverage to send their stories to the head office.In the alternative, practicing print journalists must have the modem of all the available Internet service providers to perform effectively in Nigeria.That is to say, where the MTN modem could not provide the Internet services, the ETISALAT, GLO or AIRTEL could be used to connect the Internet services at the scene of event.
Electric power supply helps the job.A print journalist cannot give any excuse on why a story or breaking news is not sent to the news editor before deadline.The epileptic electric power supply in most parts of Nigeria is another factor that limits the optimal use of new communication technologies in Nigeria.Some communities in Nigeria are not yet connected to the national grid, while the ones that have been connected experience irregular power supply.No matter how long a device is charged, the battery must be re-charged to serve the print journalist better.The surge or fluctuations in electric power supply often damage the devices of new communication technology and causes computer glitches which sometimes occur at the end of a production.
The study addresses two key questions, namely: What is the effect of new communication technologies on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria?What are the implications of these technologies on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria?These questions have necessitated the impetus to investigate how new communication technologies affect the performance of print journalists, and the challenges print journalists face as they apply these technologies in Nigeria.

Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study.

•
To what extent do new communication technologies affect the level of performance of print journalists in Nigeria?

•
What are the challenges faced by print journalists in applying new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria?

Scope of the Study
The term "new communication technologies" is used loosely to refer to Email, Mobile phone, and the Internet.The scope of this study will also be narrowed down to practicing print journalists in The Guardian, The Sun and Trust newspapers at the time of the study.These are National Newspaper organisations, they have corporate head offices and regional offices in at least four (4) out of the six (6) geo-political zones in Nigeria.

Theoretical Framework
This study is anchored on the technological determinism theory.This theory attributes changes in journalistic practices to technological innovations.Technology is either lauded for ushering unlimited opportunities to the journalism profession or blamed for various negative ramifications on the quality of media products (Charis, 2013, p.117).

Literature review
Earlier research on the effect of new media technologies on journalism practice has tended to focus more on how these technologies transformed news production, dissemination and consumption while the implications of these technologies on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria were pushed to the backstage.

Methodology
This study will combine a descriptive study and semi-structured interviews to investigate the perception of print journalists on the challenges they face when using the internet, email and cellular phones in their newsgathering operations.
The target population for the study will be all practicing journalists in the Sun, Trust and Guardian newspapers who are based in Nigeria at the time of the study.Purposive sampling will be used to select respondents because of the difficulty of accessing subjects who are scattered throughout the country.

Research Method
To effectively assess the effect of new communication technologies (Internet, e-mail, mobile phone and laptop computer) on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria, the survey method and Interview schedules were adopted.The survey research method was considered most appropriate because it gives an accurate and dependable result when the investigation is a real life situation as this study.

Research Design
The explanatory mixed method design was adopted for the determination of the effect of new communication technologies on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria.The explanatory mixed method design is a two phase method which allows researchers to generate both quantitative and qualitative data while generalizing the results on the entire population.

Population of the Study
The sum total of the population was the sum of the editorial staff at The Guardian, The Sun and Trust newspaper organisations at the time of this study as shown in the table below.
Three hundred and eighty nine (389) print journalists participated at the time of this study.The three newspapers (The Guardian, The Sun and Trust newspapers) were purposively selected from the list of Nigerian newspapers in circulation at the time of this study.The selection of the three newspapers was based on geographical spread and vast national reach.

Table1. The distribution of population
They have shown evidence of utilizing new communication technologies in their production through the website and simultaneous printing.
The newspapers have been in circulation for the past ten (10) years (June 2004-May 2014) in Nigeria.These organisations have corporate head offices and regional offices in at least five (5) out of the six (6) geo-political zones in Nigeria.Table 2 above shows that The Guardian newspaper organisation has print journalists stationed at the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, but the bulk of the editorial staff were based in Lagos (head office) and Abuja.The editorial staff at the Lagos office were fifty-four (54) print journalists; sixteen ( 16) print journalists at the Abuja area office; and a maximum of nine ( 9) print journalists at each of the zonal offices in Nigeria, at the time of this study.Table 4 above shows that The Trust newspaper organization has print journalists stationed at the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, but the bulk of the editorial staff were based at Abuja, the headquarter.Trust does not have an area office in Lagos; rather, it operates simultaneous printing sites at Kano and Maiduguri.The editorial staff at the Head office in Abuja was ninety-nine (99) print journalists; and a maximum of nine (9) print journalists in each of the zonal offices in Nigeria, at the time of this study.

Determination of Sample Size
The sample size for this study was also determined in two segments since it involved both the print journalists and the readers of the three newspapers selected for this study.The First segment concerned the sample of the editorial staff, while the second segment concerned the samples of the readers of the newspapers selected in the study.The Krejcie and Morgan sample size Formula was used to determine the sample sizes in both segments of the study (Confidence Level = 95%, Margin of Error = 5%).
This formula is the one used by Krejcie & Morgan in their 1970 article "Determining Sample Size for Research Activities" (Boyd, 2006:30).Data in Table 6 above shows that out of the one hundred and ninety four (194) copies of questionnaire that were distributed to the respondents in the three selected newspaper organizations in Nigeria, one hundred and eighty eight copies representing 96.9 percent were returned, while 6 copies, representing 3.1 percent were not returned.Since the mortality rate is 3.1 percent, it is safe to say that the distribution error is insignificant.

Analysis of the Data Collected from the Editorial Staff of The Guardian, The Sun, and Trust Newspaper Organizations
The data collected from the editorial staff of The Guardian, The Sun and Trust newspapers are presented on tables 7 below.The data in tables 8 (a,b) show that 149 respondents, representing 79.3 percent strongly agreed that new communication technology has made the cumbersome job of collating and reporting information easier than the pre-Internet days in Nigeria; 1 respondent representing 0.5 percent strongly disagreed with that view; 1 respondent representing 0.5 percent disagreed; another 1 respondent representing 0.5 was undecided; while 36 respondents representing 19.1 percent agreed that new communication technology has helped to ease the cumbersome job of collating and reporting reports.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.8, it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that new communication technology application has eased the performance of print journalists in newsgathering operations.The data in tables 9 (a,b) show that 2 respondents, representing 1.1 percent strongly disagreed with that view that e-mail communication has enabled print journalists to contact long distance news sources; 1 respondent representing 0.5 percent disagreed; 1 respondent was undecided on the issue; 81 respondents representing 43.1 percent agreed while 149 respondents representing 79.0 percent strongly agreed that e-mail communication has enabled print journalists to contact long distance news sources.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.5, it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that new communication technology has enabled print journalists performance their duty with ease.The information in tables 10 (a,b) show the views of print journalists on whether mobile phone has enhanced the ability of print journalists to check and verify information.
From the information presented, 1 respondent representing 0.5 percent strongly disagreed with the view that new communication technology has helped made their media business easier; 11 respondent representing 5.9 percent disagreed; another 1 respondent, representing 0.5 was undecided on the issue; 102 respondents representing 54.3 percent agreed that new communication technology has helped made their media business easier and 73 respondents representing 38.8 percent strongly agreed that mobile phone has enhanced the ability of print journalists to check and verify information.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.3, it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that mobile phone has enhanced the ability of print journalists to check and verify information.The information in tables 11 (a,b) show the perception of print journalists on whether mobile phone allows print journalists to gather news from remote parts of Nigeria and send text messages to the newsroom with relative ease.From the data presented, 1 respondent representing 0.5 percent strongly disagreed with the statement; 6 respondents representing 3.2 percent disagreed; 4 respondents were undecided on the issue; 109 respondents representing 58 percent agreed; and 68 respondents, representing 36.2 percent strongly agreed that mobile phone allows print journalists to gather news from remote parts of Nigeria and send text messages to the newsroom with relative ease.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.3, it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that mobile phone allows print journalists to gather news from remote parts of Nigeria and send text messages to the newsroom with relative ease.102 The data in Tables 12 (a,b) show that 1 respondent, representing 0.5 percent strongly disagreed with the view that print journalists use computerized editorial system to write texts, process images and transmit important information; 1 respondent, representing 0.5 percent disagreed; 1 respondent, representing 0.5 percent has no opinion on the view; 97 respondents, representing 51.6 percent agreed and 88 respondents, representing 46.8 percent strongly agreed to the view that print journalists use computerized editorial system to write texts, process images and transmit important information.This means that majority of the respondents believe that print journalists use computerized editorial system to write texts; process images and transmit important information.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.4, it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that mobile phone allows print journalists gather news from remote parts of Nigeria and send text messages to the newsroom with relative ease.The data in tables 13 (a,b) show that 1 respondent representing 0.5 percent strongly disagreed with the view that e-mail helps the print journalists to get feedbacks from newspaper readers on published stories; 4 respondents representing 2.1 percent disagreed; 7 respondents were undecided on the issue; 70 respondents representing 37.2 agreed while 106 respondents representing 56.4 percent strongly agreed that e-mail helps the print journalists to get feedbacks from newspaper readers on published stories.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.5 it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that e-mail helps the print journalists to get feedbacks from newspaper readers on published stories.
The summary on research question One is analyzed in the Grand mean below, as per tables 8-13.Based on the cut-off point of 3.0, any factor or variable with a mean 3.0 or above is regarded as positive while all others with a mean below 3.0 are regarded as negative (Uzoagulu, 2011:119).
The Analysis reveals that the use of new communication technology devices has enhanced the effectiveness of print journalists in the performance of their duty in Nigeria.
What are the challenges faced by print journalists in applying new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria?The data in tables 14 (a,b) show that 2 respondents, representing 1.1 percent strongly disagreed with the view that print journalists go through harrowing experience to access the World Wide Web (www) due to poor Internet connectivity in Nigeria; 3 respondents representing 1.6 percent disagreed; however 116 respondents representing 61.7 percent agreed and 67 respondents representing 35.6 percent strongly agreed with the view that print journalists go through harrowing experience to access the World Wide Web (www) due to poor Internet connectivity in Nigeria.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.3 it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that print journalists go through harrowing experience to access the World Wide Web (www) due to poor Internet connectivity in Nigeria.
The data in tables 15 (a,b) above show that 1 respondent, representing 0.5 percent strongly disagreed with the view that epileptic power supply hinders the use of new communication technology by print journalists in the performance of their job in Nigeria; 13 respondents, representing 6.9 percent disagreed; 1 respondent representing 0.5 percent had no opinion on the issue; however, 127 respondents, representing 67.6 percent agreed and 46 respondents, representing 24.5 percent strongly agreed that epileptic power supply militate against the use of new communication technology by print journalists in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.1 it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that epileptic power supply militate against the use of new communication technology by print journalists in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.The data in tables 16 (a,b) above show that 2 respondents, representing 1.1 percent strongly disagreed with the view that new communication technology is breeding print journalists with stunted creativity because of the new copy and paste culture in Nigeria; 33 respondents, representing 17.6 percent disagreed; 4 respondents, representing 2.1 had no opinion on the issue; however, 92 respondents, representing 48.9 percent agreed and 57 respondents, representing 30.3 percent strongly agreed with the view that new communication technology is breeding print journalists with stunted creativity because of the new copy and paste culture in Nigeria.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 3.9 it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that new communication technology is breeding print journalists with stunted creativity because of the new copy and paste culture in Nigeria.The data in tables 17 (a,b) shows that 1 respondent, representing 0.5 percent strongly disagree with the view that journalism practice is becoming an "arm chair" profession because of the use of new communication technology in newsgathering operations in Nigeria; 2 respondents, representing 1.1 percent equally disagree; 1 respondent, representing 0.5 percent has no opinion; however, 101 respondents, representing 94 percent agreed and 90 respondents, representing 47.9 percent strongly agreed.This means that majority of the respondents believed that journalism practice is becoming an "arm chair" profession because of the use of New Communication Technologies in newsgathering operations in Nigeria.
To statistically check whether it was a 'yes' or 'no' decision, mean and standard deviation were used.Given that the Likert scale has an acceptable point of 4.4 it means that this is a "yes" decision.This analysis shows that journalism practice is becoming an "arm chair" profession because of the use of New Communication Technologies in newsgathering operations in Nigeria.
The summary on research question (2) Two is analyzed in the Grand Mean below, as per tables 14-17.
Grand mean (x) = 4.3 + 4.1 + 3.9 + 4.4 4 = 16.7 4 = 4.1 Based on the cut-off point of 3.0, it means that any factor or variable with a mean 3.0 or above is regarded as positive while all others with a mean below 3.0 are regarded as negative (Uzoagulu, 2011, p.119).
Research Question Two as shown in tables 15 -18 with a Grand Mean of 4.1 shows that there are challenges faced by print journalists when new communication technology is used in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.

Interview Responses
This study included the oral interviews of twenty (20) print journalists; six (6) from The Guardian newspaper organization and seven (7) each from The Sun and Trust newspaper organizations.

Do you think that the utilization of new communication technology devices have contributed to the high efficiency level in the performance of your job?
Interviewees affirmed that collecting and reporting information has become faster, easier, and more accurate compared to the pre-internet era in Nigeria.The use of the Internet, mobile phones, laptops, and email significantly enhances print journalists' efficiency.One respondent highlighted how online planning, formatting, and transmitting of newspaper pages to production through the Internet simplifies the job, surpassing traditional methods involving notepads, tape recorders, and typewriters in print journalism.

Do you get regular feedback from the reading public?
Regarding reader feedback, some print journalists mentioned their website's role in facilitating interaction with editors through online and offline newspaper versions.These journalists also receive feedback from readers via their personal email addresses.

What are the benefits you derive as a print journalist for using new communication technology in the performance of your job in Nigeria?
Print journalists in Nigeria benefit from new communication technology in various ways.These include enhanced performance, improved report quality, streamlined editing, easier page planning, remote story submission using devices like iPads and cyber cafes, increased flexibility in work location and timing, time savings, improved connectivity, real-time reporting, and adaptation to the digital era.

Do you experience challenges in applying the devices of new communication technology in the performance of your job in Nigeria?
Print journalists in Nigeria encounter challenges when using new communication technology devices in their work.These challenges include limited internet access, technical problems with laptops, unreliable power supply, overdependency on mobile devices for news sourcing, erosion of gatekeeping leading to potential issues with content quality, diminished personal contacts with sources, concerns about hasty reporting without proper investigation, and ethical dilemmas related to the speed of online publishing.

To what extent do new communication technologies affect the level of performance of print journalists in Nigeria?
New communication technologies significantly affect the performance of print journalists in Nigeria.These technologies have transformed information collation and reporting, improved verification through mobile phones, facilitated digital workflows for writing, editing, and page layout planning, enabled long-distance communication via email, allowed remote news gathering using mobile phones, and encouraged reader feedback.Interviews confirm that these technologies have made information gathering and reporting faster, easier, and more accurate compared to the pre-internet era.They have also enhanced the availability, accessibility, and affordability of information for print journalists.Overall, new communication technologies positively contribute to the operational efficiency of print journalists in Nigeria.

What are the challenges faced by print journalists in applying new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria?
Print journalists in Nigeria encounter challenges in their duties when using new communication 107 technologies, including issues with internet connectivity, disruptions caused by unreliable power supply, the emergence of a copy-paste culture that affects creativity, a shift in journalism towards more desk-bound practices, technical problems leading to production delays, and the diminishing of personal contacts with news sources.
The study's key findings regarding the impact of new communication technologies on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria are as follows: 1.
New communication technologies significantly affect the performance level of print journalists.
2. The ability to use computerized editorial systems for news reporting from anywhere at any time correlates positively with the benefits gained by print journalists using these technologies.
3. These technologies have a noteworthy influence on the quality, design, and accessibility of newspaper content in Nigeria. 5. New communication technologies enable easier access to news reporting, efficient editing, and page planning, allowing journalists to file reports from event locations and enhance stories with internet-sourced information.
6. Print journalists in Nigeria encounter difficulties in accessing the internet due to internet downtime and grapple with the lack of sustainable electric power.
7. The utilization of new communication technologies reduces personal contact between journalists and news sources, contributing to the erosion of gatekeeping in print journalism practice.

To what extent do new communication technologies affect the level of performance of print journalists in Nigeria?
The data presented in tables 8 to 14

What are the challenges faced by print journalists in applying new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria?
The data in table 14  Interview schedule shows that the digital devices could pack-up in the cause of production and it may take many days to retrieve the material from the hard disc.There could also be internet down times, when print journalists go through harrowing experience to access the Internet.NCT devices are diminishing personal contacts with news sources.

Summary of Findings
The effect of new communication technologies on the performance of print journalists in Nigeria cannot be underestimated.

(a)
The study indicates that new communication technologies have significant effect on the level of performance of print journalists.

(b)
There is a positive relationship between the ability to use computerized editorial systems to report on news events from anywhere at any time and the benefits accruing to print journalists who use new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.

(c)
The study indicates that new communication technologies have significant effect on the level of performance of print journalists and a significant influence on the improvement in quality of newspaper content, design and accessibility in Nigeria.

(d)
There is a positive relationship between the easy access to news reporting, efficient editing, page planning and the benefits accruing to print journalists who use new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.

(e)
There is a positive relationship between the epileptic electric power supply and the challenges faced by print journalists in applying new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.

(f)
The study reveals that new communication technologies provide easier access to news reporting, page planning and more efficient editing in Nigeria.It enables print journalists to file-in their reports from the scene of events and to beef up their stories with the information accessed on the Internet.

(g)
The study shows that print journalists in Nigeria go through harrowing experiences to access the World Wide Web (www) due to Internet down times in Nigeria.The access to sustainable electric power supply is also a challenge in Nigeria.Power surge or fluctuations in electric power supply may cause the breakdown of some digital systems during the production process and the materials may not be recovered from the hard disc until after many days.

(h)
The study shows that the utilization of new communication technologies in print journalism diminishes personal contact between print journalists and their news sources.It also shows that new communication technologies have eroded gate keeping in print journalism practice in Nigeria.

Conclusions
The following conclusions were drawn based on the findings of the study.
New communication technologies enhance the effective performance of print journalists in Nigeria.
New communication technologies improves the quality of newspaper content, design and accessibility to readers in Nigeria.This is in line with the study conducted by Ikpe and Ibekwe (2007) who noted that "newspapers produced today are better produced in terms of colour, layout and general aesthetics values" (p.318).There are intervening variables within the environment militating against the use of new communication technologies to full capacity in Nigeria.
There are vast array of resources and technological possibilities accruing to print journalists who use new communication technologies in the performance of their duties in Nigeria.
New communication technologies have made news and Information available, affordable and accessible to print journalists for the effective performance of their duties in Nigeria.
New Communication Technologies present immense opportunity for the storage and retrieval of information.

Recommendations
The following recommendations were considered appropriate in view of the aforementioned findings and conclusions: The Federal Government in Nigeria should take pro-active measures in tackling the epileptic power supply and poor Internet connectivity in Nigeria.

(c)
Media owners should provide free devices of new communication technologies to the editorial staff of their organisation and train them for the effective performance of their duties in Nigeria.

(d)
Newspaper organisations in Nigeria should constantly engage in research to identify emerging resources and applications of new communication technologies.

Suggestions for Further Studies
Further study should focus on: (a) Assessment of the effect of new communication technologies on the quality of product and services of print journalists in Nigeria (A case study of The Vanguard newspaper organisation).
(b) Assessing the adaptation of Print Newspapers in Nigeria to emerging media developments.

Contributions to Knowledge
The study shows the power of new communication technologies in changing the roles of a print journalist within the digital journalism operations and how these technologies enhance the performance of print journalists in Nigeria.It prepares the minds of print journalists on how to face the challenges that are associated with the use of new communication technologies in Nigeria and how to avoid letting these challenges prevent them from improving the performance of their duties in Nigeria.
The sample size by Krejcie & Morgan sample size formula calculation is one hundred and ninety-four (194) respondents or print journalists.

4.
Challenges faced by print journalists in adopting new communication technologies are compounded by irregular electric power supply.

Table 3
above shows that The Sun newspaper organization has print journalists stationed at five out of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, but the bulk of the editorial staff were based in Lagos (head office) and Abuja.The editorial staff at the Lagos office were ninety-four (94) print journalists; fifteen (15) print journalists at the Abuja area office; and a maximum of ten (10) print journalists in each of the zonal offices in Nigeria, at the time of this study.

Table 17b . Statistics. Journalism Practice is Becoming more of an "Arm Chair" Profession Because of the Use of New Communication Technologies in Newsgathering Operations in Nigeria
and the Interview Schedule indicated that new communication technologies affect the level of performance of print journalists in Nigeria.New communication technology has transformed the cumbersome jobs of collating and reporting information, as shown in table 8 (79.3%).Mobile phone has enhanced the ability of print journalists to check and verify information, as shown in table 10 (54.3%).A print journalist can now write stories, edit and plan the page layout on his digital systems, facilitating speed in newsgathering operations and reducing the operating time of the editorial desks, as shown in table 12 (51.6%).This survey result corroborates the opinion ofChari (2013:122)which asserts that e-mail is said to have enabled journalists contact long distance news sources, as shown on table 9 (54.8).Mobile phone allows print journalists to gather news from remote parts of Nigeria and send text messages to the newsrooms with relative ease, as shown in table 11 (58%).It was also indicated in table 13 (56.4%),that e-mail helps print journalists to get feedback from newspaper readers.
and the Oral Interview show that print journalists in Nigeria go through