Social Media in Modern Public Relations Practice in Nigeria: Knowledge, Perception and Use

Social Media has become inevitable for anybody who wants to be relevant in the modern day world and participative in innovative activities. The world of communication is no longer the same with the advent of social media. The growing use of social media in Nigeria is encouraging, even with the creation of indigenous online forum strictly for Nigerians. Therefore the world of Public Relations in Nigeria which is the focus of this writer cannot be an exception. The argument is still on globally that social media belongs to public relations. It is on this note that this work examined the knowledge, perception and use of social media in modern public relations practice in Nigeria. The study was underpinned by the Technological Determinism theory, Social Shaping of Technology theory and the Social Information Processing theory, as its framework for analysis. Findings from the study however revealed that public relations practitioners in Nigeria have not been able to fully explore the advantages associated with the use of social media in their practice.