Nigeria, Jan. 25 -- In Nigeria today, smartphones are nearly ubiquitous, social media is omnipresent, and instant access to information has never been easier. This environment has fostered the widespread belief that journalism is now a profession anyone can practice. The logic is simple: if a person can record an event, post a thread, or share updates on platforms like X, Facebook, TikTok, or WhatsApp, they must be a journalist. This assumption, however, is not only misguided, it is dangerous.

The digital age has undoubtedly democratized information. Citizen journalism, where untrained individuals capture and share news, has played a vital role in amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard. Across Nigeria, citizen reporters have d...