Nigeria joined the rest of the globe in combating the coronavirus after recording its
index case in February 2020. Between then and now, this proclamation has had an
enormous impact on the nature of work globally which led to reassessment and
restructuring of operational procedures in various sectors and
particularly, journalism industry. The study assessed the changes in the operational
practice of journalism practice consequent on COVID-19 pandemic and sustainability
in Nigeria. The study was anchored on technological determinism theory and Uses
and Gratifications Theory. The study made use of seven key in-depth interviews which
were conducted among journalists. The findings revealed significant shifts in
journalism practices due to COVID-19, with universal adoption of digital technology
and remote working. Challenges such as technological issues, changing audience
behaviour, and health concerns are acknowledged, with adaptation strategies
including the integration of AI, remote working, and continuous skill development. It
was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic has catalysed significant
transformations in journalism operational practices. Qualitative findings underscore
a widespread shift towards digital technology, remote working, and online content
production. While the industry acknowledges the sustainability of these changes, challenges such as technological issues and changing audience behaviour remained.