Mediating Memory: Journalism, Indigenous Knowledge, and the Digital Transformation of Cultural Narratives in Nigeria

Oyindoubra Timi-Wood

doi:10.56201/rjmcit.vol.12.no1.2025.pg49.54

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Mediating Memory: Journalism, Indigenous Knowledge, and the Digital Transformation of Cultural Narratives in Nigeria

Oyindoubra Timi-Wood

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge systems in Nigeria, rooted in oral traditions, proverbs, rituals, and communal practices, constitute enduring frameworks for cultural memory, environmental knowledge, and social organization. Despite their significance, contemporary journalism operating within data-driven, algorithmic, and digitally accelerated media environments often marginalizes these epistemologies. This paper examines how Nigerian journalism mediates indigenous knowledge in the context of digital transformation shaped by artificial intelligence and information and communication technologies. Using qualitative discourse and framing analysis, the study analyzes selected Nigerian newspapers, broadcast media, and community radio content, alongside indigenous and community-led digital media initiatives. The findings reveal that mainstream journalism frequently frames indigenous knowledge through narratives of cultural loss, nostalgia, and obsolescence, positioning it as residual to scientific and technological knowledge. In contrast, indigenous and alternative media reframe IKS as adaptive, contemporary, and relevant to present-day challenges such as climate adaptation, public health communication, and intergenerational knowledge transmission. The article argues that journalism in Nigeria functions as a critical mediator of cultural memory, shaping epistemic hierarchies by determining which knowledge systems are legitimized, archived, or excluded in public discourse. Drawing on media ecology and decolonial communication theory, the study demonstrates that digital transformation does not inherently erase indigenous knowledge but reconfigures its visibility and authority. The article contributes to debates on journalism, indigenous knowledge, and technological change by advocating epistemic plurality in the age of AI and big data.

Keywords

Indigenous knowledge systems; journalism; media framing; cultural memory; digital transformation; Nigeria

References

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Mediating Memory: Journalism, Indigenous Knowledge, and the Digital Transformation of Cultural Narratives in Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

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