COVID 19 Pandemic and Media System in Nigeria: Implications for the Future

The COVID-19 pandemic received enormous media coverage immediately it was first reported in China. The first one-year reportage of the COVID-19 pandemic by media system revealed a paradigm shift in the media system framework across the world. The traditional media (television, newspapers, radio) which used to be the frontline in providing public information and communication, took the backstage as the new media now referred to as social media provided more instant and satisfying information to the public. It provided robust communicative power that spoke to a majority of the global population. The paper used historical and document analysis to descriptively analyze issues arising from the domination of the social media in the media system framework. The paper focused on the media system coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The issues arising from social media domination of the media system framework included; reverse agenda setting, emergence of social movements, unsecure telehealth platforms, proliferation of unsecured news sources and public anxiety. The paper anchored its argument on social responsibility framework and concluded that there will be political, healthcare and national security implications for the future as a result of the paradigm shift. It therefore recommended for the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to register stronger presence within the social media space, regulate social media activities and create a secured platform for telehealth service delivery.