Assessing the Effectiveness Usage and Ethical Practice of Social Media as a Tool for Information Dissemination: A Case Study of Media Houses in Lusaka (Television Outlets)

The study aimed at assessing the effectiveness usage and ethical practice of Social Media as a Tool for Information Dissemination: A case study of Media Houses in Lusaka (Television outlets). The study was guided by the following objective which assesses the effectiveness of using social media as a tool for information dissemination, assess how media ethical practices are applied on social media user and ascertain how social media and the users are regulated to maintain media ethical practices. The study employed a case study design. Structured and Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Data was collected using questionnaires and guides from 75 respondents that include Media Institutions, law enforcement institution, student, media practitioners and the members of the public who use social media as a tool for information dissemination. The collected data was analyzed in form of descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Microsoft word and excel. Findings were presented in graph/charts and discussions thereof. The findings indicated the need to strengthen legal institutions and come up with laws that will be strong enough to ensure media ethical practices and deter people from abusing social media. The study further recommended that government should develop strong Legal framework that will ensure media ethical practices are followed by the users of social media in Zambia, come up with clear policies with regards to media ethic for Media Institutions and other users of social media, translate media ethical practices in local languages and make them available to the public, increase public awareness on the importance of media ethics on social media This should also be supported by the inclusion of non-selective stiff penalties that are well spelt out as a way to deter would be abusers. The government needs to show leadership and commitment by supporting the implementation of policies, licenses and laws by sufficiently training and allocating enough human and financial resources required action. Government should allocate enough funding to law enforcement agencies so that they can effectively conduct sensitization or provide interventions such as the involvement of the media to increase awareness of abrogating media ethic.