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The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, has warned that the growing dominance of digital algorithms in the media space is undermining journalism and posing risks to democracy.
Anaba made this statement in an interview on Saturday’s Breakfast Xtra show on News Central TV.
He said the influence of algorithms on news consumption did not happen suddenly but crept in gradually, without enough scrutiny from media professionals and the public.
“The way algorithms have invaded and dominated our media space did not just start suddenly; it came in progressively, and somehow now they are increasingly seizing the media space without us paying too much attention,” Anaba said.
Anaba recalled that some years ago, major technology companies such as Google paid online news platforms significant revenue through advertising services like AdSense.
According to him, later algorithm changes led to a drastic reduction in earnings for news organisations, even though the platforms continued to use journalistic content.
“They changed the algorithms, money reduced drastically, and they still use our content without paying a commensurate fee,” he added.
Anaba noted that the greater danger lies in how algorithm-driven narratives fuel misinformation and disinformation, with damaging consequences for democratic processes.
He explained that algorithms often promote content that provokes anger and distorts facts, deliberately misleading audiences and increasing the risk of unrest.
Anaba cited ongoing public debates about electoral issues as examples of how algorithm-driven content can negatively shape opinions.
He added that such narratives, when combined with Nigeria’s existing security challenges could further undermine public discourse.
“The narratives driven by algorithms undermine democracy in ways that are not healthy for our democracy. Algorithms can give you a narrative that will fuel anger, that will distort information in a way that will lead to disinformation.”
Anaba recounted a personal experience from the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where an online report from a major news site claimed that the tournament had poor infrastructure and low interest.
He said the report contradicted what he witnessed on the ground.
