ABSTRACT:

The place of social media in enhancing public relations practice cannot be over-emphasized. The coming on board of this New Communication Technology into PR practice has greatly changed the nature and approach of caring out public relations activities today. This study examined the role of social media in public relations practice in Nigeria. In carrying out the study, survey research method was used. The population of study was the South East Nigeria. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the one hundred and fifty{150) respondents needed for the study. The result revealed that social media have helped in reducing the communication gap between the PR practitioner and their various public which in turn creates  a favorable atmosphere for PR practitioners and their clients to interact and share meaningful information about their services and products. It was also discovered that ignorance and poverty are the major factors hindering the effective application of social media in PR. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended that serious, intensive and aggressive enlightenment be embarked on by Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and other relevant professional bodies to sensitize its members on the importance of social media in PR practice. Also, PR practitioners should be actively involved in the use  of social media in their practice since more and more people especially the youths arc presently showing interest in social media.