Assessing the Influence of Social Media on News Sourcing Practices in the Kenyan Mainstream Media

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to systematically assess the influence of social media on news sourcing practices within the Kenyan mainstream media. The emergence of social media as a source of news to traditional media has presented both opportunities and challenges to mass communication researchers. The study reviews literature published on how social media influences (X, Facebook, WhatsApp) the traditional mainstream media in news sourcing practices. The objective of this study is to evaluate the transformation of news gathering practices, changes in newsroom practices, as well as consider the ethical concerns in the wake of social media. Using a systematic literature review approach, scholarly articles and doctoral theses published between 2016 and 2025 were sourced from databases including Google Scholar, International Journal of Current Science, IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, and University repositories of Kenyan institutions. The review finds that while social media has democratised the news agenda through audience participation, it has also fundamentally challenged the traditional gatekeeping role of media practitioners. However, the quality of the news is sometimes compromised and thus the need for fact-checking techniques. The paper recommends that the mainstream media ought to encourage participatory journalism from the audience by integrating user-generated content responsibly. The audience concludes that social media is a complement to news sourcing practices and has shifted the mainstream media into a digital newsroom. The study contributes to broader discussions on media convergence and the evolving role of journalism in the digital era.