Fake news and its Impact on national cohesion: the Nigerian story

Studies in Media and Communiaction, 2019

Since the rising to notoriety of the present "genre" of malicious content peddled as "fake news" (mostly over social media) in 2016 during the United States" presidential election, barely three years until Nigeria"s 2019 general elections, fake news has made dangerously damaging impacts on the Nigerian society socially, politically and economically. Notably, the escalating herder-farmer communal clashes in the northern parts of the country, ethno-religious crises in Taraba, Plateau and Benue states and the furiously burning fire of the thug-of-war between the ruling party (All Progressives Congress, APC) and the opposition, particularly the main opposition party (People"s Democratic Party, PDP) have all been attributed to fake news, untruth and political propaganda. This paper aims to provide further understanding about the evolving issues regarding fake news and its demonic impact on the Nigerian polity. To make that contribution toward building the literature, extant literature and verifiable online news content on fake news and its attributes were critically reviewed. This paper concludes that fake news and its associated notion of post-truth may continue to pose threat to the Nigerian polity unless strong measures are taken. For the effects of fake news and post-truth phenomena to be suppressed substantially, a tripartite participation involving these key stakeholders-the government, legislators and the public should be modelled and implemented to the letter.

Global Media Journal, 2019

The study was conducted to measure the effect of fake news on Nigeria’s democracy within the premise of freedom of expression. The study was anchored on four objectives to find out the rate of the spread of fake news among Nigerians on both social and conventional media; to examine the perception of media audience on fake news and abuse of freedom of expression; to find out the effect of fake news on Nigeria’s democracy; to determine measures that can be adopted in combating fake news The study selected purposive sampling and surveyed 60 social media user from Borno and Yobe (i.e 30 from each of the two states) and administered questionnaire. The study found that the majority of the respondents contributes in the information sharing system of media cycle. The study found that that despite the awareness of fake news among the respondents, there is limited alertness with regard to sensitivity of verifying information before sharing. The study also found that politics and crisis suffer more fake news than any other nature. The study found that fake news is still crucial because there are rounds of perceptions that influence its nature and thus its spread. The study also found that the respondents have negative perception about the extent to which fake news can affect democracy and democratic system of governance. The study recommends that awareness should be created so as to enlighten people who use the social media to avoid spreading unverified information and that other social media platform should copy from Twitter in restricting number of text user can post and identification of a verified account.

Nasarawa Journal of Multimedia and Communication Studies, 2020

The emergence of new media technologies brought about the transformation of society in virtually all aspects of national life. It has collapsed time and distance barrier in communication and thereby democratising information communication apparatus. The increasing use of new media has raised concerns in several quarters on its implications to heighten the spread of fake news in society. The study utilises library research technique to gather data for the study while Inoculations theory and Conspiracy theory were the theoretical framework that guided the study. The paper argues that the proliferation of new media technologies has led to the dissemination of fake news in Nigeria. The study finds that new media technologies was being used to spread fake news and misinformation in key critical areas like political communication, war against insurgency, and the promotion of ethnic sentiments among Nigerians. The study recommends that government and tech companies educate the people on the mechanism of facts checking so that they can identify false and misleading information.

Asian Journal of Applied Communication, 2019

The literature may have established that fake news is not new. However, the digitized form of fake news that is commonly believed to have emerged during the 2016 United States’ presidential election is by no means new. Having come at the time of information explosion aided by the rapid advancements in information and communication technologies, this genre of fake news has been pervasive, and characteristically, having a notoriety for undermining democratic processes in nations across the globe. Apart from the 2016 US presidential election, even the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom is believed to have been touched by fake news. Then came the 2019 Nigerian election and the so-called ‘INEC Server Gate’, a situation that has provided a fertile ground for the propagation of fake news in the country’s polity, was given rise to by the leading opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar who is currently challenging the election result in a court of law. In fact, it is believed that digital fake news emerged in Nigerian polity since during the country’s 2015 election. This article aims to provide understanding about the definitions of fake news in Nigerian context and proposes a conceptual framework to determine the influence of fake news on Nigeria’s democracy. Future research should focus on using quantitative methods to test the framework.

New Media and Mass Communication, 2019

With the rapid advancements in technology and the democratization of media topology in Nigeria, many people are increasingly gaining access to the media and becoming empowered to actively participate in public debate about issues affecting them in addition to having a great deal of online social interactions. However, people's access to and interactions with technology and other media have given rise to a host of malicious effects-propagation of doubtful and fabricated content. This has been shown to have the potential to adversely influence people's lives and sense of judgment, especially regarding democratic processes such as political campaigns during which many malicious fabricated contents are disseminated. In recent history, from 2016, election campaigns in various countries across the world have highlighted how fake news can be targeted at specific people or individuals to influence and misguide them, and even influence polls results. Ever since, issues surrounding fake news and its impacts on democratic and social settings have been gaining pervasive research attention. Hence, the urge to explore the concepts of misinformation and democracy from a Nigerian context through a review of extant literature. In conclusion, several propositions were made, and a conceptual framework was designed for future research to explore the concept and empirically proffer solutions to the growing menace.

Studies in Media and Communication

The Nigerian media space is flooded with fake news, which has become the bane of digital journalism in today’s world. This is occasioned by the emergence of online media platforms and news blogs in Nigeria that appears to have created a situation where everyone can lay claim to being a ‘digital journalist’ and spreads news stories that get circulated instantaneously whether factual or not. This study uses case analysis, and historicocritical methods to examine purposively selected fake news cases disseminated on social media that concern socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural themes about Nigerians or Nigeria posted between 2017 and 2021. We found that fake news is rife in Nigeria and is increasingly becoming a sub-culture among the people. The article recommends a reorientation of Nigerians to do more critical thinking and to improve their digital media literacy in order not to fall prey to purveyors of fake news.

New Media and Mass Communication, 2025

The proliferation of fake news and cloned pages represents a significant challenge to the media landscape in Nigeria, influencing public trust, information integrity and societal cohesion. This study critically examines the consequences, solutions and theoretical underpinnings related to these phenomena. Through a comprehensive review of recent literature, including data from notable organisations such as the Centre for Democracy and Development and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, the study highlights the extensive reach and influence of fake news and cloned pages. The literature reveal that a substantial portion of the Nigerian population encounters and acts upon misleading information, undermining both media credibility and public confidence. The study proposes targeted interventions, including enhanced media literacy, robust fact-checking mechanisms and collaborative regulatory frameworks, to address these challenges. By integrating insights from theoretical perspectives on misinformation and media influence, the research offers practical recommendations to improve information integrity and foster a more informed public.

African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 2024

The emergence of new social media platforms such as Twitter has revolutionized the means of communication and dissemination, providing unprecedented networking avenues for immediate news spread. But this ease has also increased the spread of fake news which is a concern faced by many nations including Nigeria. Fake news simply deceives, suppresses facts relevant to political life or spreads information intended only to harm, having a direct impact on national security. For Nigeria, a country rich in ethnic, religious and political prejudice, the effects of fake news can go as far as inciting violence, destroying the social fabric or even causing instability. This study investigated the prevalence, characteristics and consequences of fake news on Twitter during critical events in Nigeria, using a qualitative methodology to understand how false information is spread and what potential threat it poses to national security. The paper uses secondary data from the extant literature and Twitter-Archive for investigating how fake news spreads, consequently shaping public opinion, damaging social solidarity and threatening national security. It lists the top drivers of misinformation in Nigeriaincluding poor media literacy, political divisiveness and overdependence on social media as sources of news. It also puts forward solutions to address the risks posed by this kind of content on Twitter, including government legislation, fact-checking mechanisms, media literacy initiatives and consumer take-backs. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between Twitter, fake news, and national security in Nigeria, highlighting the urgent need for proactive measures to protect the country's stability and well-being.

Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts, 2019

The rising trend of fake news on social media in Nigeria has raised serious concern about the survival of the country's fledgling democracy especially as the country prepares for the 2019 polls which is expected to usher in a new set of leaders. The federal government had in response to the menace which has reached an alarming proportion launched a campaign against fake news in July 2018 to raise awareness about the dangers fake news portends for the polity. While some applaud the government for the initiative, others lampoon the government for chasing shadows instead of addressing the root cause. This chapter therefore examines the issues, controversies and problems associated with the deadly scourge and proffer solutions to halt the growing menace of fake news in the country.

2021

Fake news seems to be the monster of the century affecting continents of the world. From Africa to Asia, America to the Himalayas, the impact of fake news on national unity and regional cohesion remains debatable among scholars and experts. Like other countries on the African continent, Nigeria has tasted and is still having share of the consequences of fake news, especially politically-driven ones, which has been researched by scholars in the media and emerging technologies spaces. This study joins the conversation within the journalism and fake news discourse using big data that emerged from selected political, security, health and religious fake news reported by selected Nigerian newspapers. Adopting Computational and Quantitative Content Analyses with the specific use of Data Logging Approach for data collection, the study investigates the extent to which the Nigerian public consume and spread the select news at the expense of promoting national unity and regional cohesion expec...

Handbook of Research on Politics in Computer Age, 2020

In addition to looking at the ongoing election campaigns in Nigeria, past election campaigns both locally and globally (especially since Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the 2016 presidential election in the United States) have highlighted how fake news and hate speech can be used to cause political instability in society. Ever since, fake news and hate speech issues and their impacts on democratic processes have gained widespread research attention. Hence, an urge exists to not only further understand the concepts of fake news and hate speech but also to define them based on empirical and critical literature. This chapter intends to clearly provide further understanding about the definition of fake news through a redefinition of the concept based on a critical review of literature. Also, critically discussed in this chapter are the impacts both fake news and hate speech can have on the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. Some policy recommendations are offered.

Handbook of Research on Politics in the Computer Age

In addition to looking at the ongoing election campaigns in Nigeria, past election campaigns both locally and globally (especially since Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the 2016 presidential election in the United States) have highlighted how fake news and hate speech can be used to cause political instability in society. Ever since, fake news and hate speech issues and their impacts on democratic processes have gained widespread research attention. Hence, an urge exists to not only further understand the concepts of fake news and hate speech but also to define them based on empirical and critical literature. This chapter intends to clearly provide further understanding about the definition of fake news through a redefinition of the concept based on a critical review of literature. Also, critically discussed in this chapter are the impacts both fake news and hate speech can have on the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. Some policy recommendations are offered.

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

The ongoing discussion on fake news is mostly focused on American and British societies in the political and social atmosphere of "alternative facts" which is non-truth. However, the issues about the impact of fake news on journalism are not contained to British and American contexts only. This paper attempts to examine the alternative facts in Indian and Nigerian societies as well as the Journalism practices in this contemporary media-savvy phase. Unlike the issues projected in the western debate on the need to re-engage and empathize with the audience and the rise of a non-facts checking culture, the apprehensions appear to be slightly different in India and Nigeria. Findings in these two countries reveal that there is a higher rate of fake news pedalled around social media platforms. According to a study conducted in India and Nigeria by the BBC in 2018, it found out that the lack of faith in mainstream news made people spread unreliable information from varying sources. The study summarises how digital platforms like Facebook. Twitter and WhatsApp fuels people to share, comment and retweet information without fact-checking. Unfortunately, this has caused a lot of violence and lack of trust in politicians and their political narratives in both countries.

IAMCR Conference Tempere 2020, 2020

Since 1960, when Nigeria got its political independence Nigerians have always been ‘dis’united along socio-cultural and political identity divides. This creates a fertile ground for the propagation of hate speech and disinformation. In recent years, the political atmosphere in the country has transformed swiftly, ushering in new happenings and constraints to the country’s growing democracy. These new developments and challenges revolve around the electorate’s constant accessing inaccurate and misleading content online. As the constitutional watchdogs of the society, journalists are invested with the duty of cleansing the democratic atmosphere of the filths of disinformation and hate messages to preserve the peace and rule of law in the land. Fact-checking is one of the most effective techniques recommended for verifying fake information and even hate messages in the post-truth era. However, as people’s use of technology to pollute the democratic process with fake information and hurtful comments is increasingly becoming sophisticated with corresponding sophistication of technology, fact-checking techniques and tools should be more theoretically driven. To help the news media industry and journalists achieve the goals of ensuring ethical journalism practice capable of contributing toward the stability and sustenance of democratic processes in the country, this paper proposes the Journalism Model of Disinformation and Hate Speech Propagation. Critical reviews of extant literature were performed after series of searches on Google and Google Scholar for published works focusing on fake news and hate speech in a Nigerian political context using the following keywords: fake news, hate speech, post-truth, fake news in Nigeria, hate speech in Nigeria, fake news and Nigerian democracy, fake news and hate speech in Nigeria, Nigerian democratic process and fake news and hate speech, social identity in Nigeria, cultural identity in Nigeria, political identity in Nigeria, Nigerian journalists and fact-checking, as well as impact of fake news and hate speech in Nigerian democracy. A total of 119 published works was selected for the review with as many as 71 others discarded for irrelevance. A combination of conference papers, reviews and research studies mainly on a Nigerian context constituted 46%, e-books and institutional survey reports constituted 38% while a combination of online newspapers and other online sources constituted 16%. Using content coding, categorisation and comparison methods, themes were identified, abstracted and defined into constructs. The findings yielded eight parameters: (i) disinformation and hate actors, (ii) disinformation and hate message, (iii) mediation of disinformation and hate message (moderated by political influence), (iv) victims of disinformation and hate, (v) degeneration of disinformation and hate messages into an alternative fact circumstance (moderated by time-period), (vi) degeneration of alternative fact into a post-truth and post affection era (moderated by time-period), ultimately (vii) degeneration of a post-truth and post affection era into a post-democracy or neo-authoritarian era (moderated by time-period) and (viii) feedback or reaction (the consequences of disinformation and hate messages on the polity). Recommendations for theoretical and policy development are offered at the end.

2019

The rate at which fake news thrive in the social media landscape around the world has attracted media scholars attention in different ways given the threat and dangers it poses to the peaceful development of every human society. In view of the above reason, this study is set to provide critical digital measure that can help the government of Nigeria in the control of fake news spread in its territory considering the heterogeneous nature of the country. The study is set to find out if there is any noticeable influence of fake news on the existence of the Nigerian state, the dominant noticeable dangers of fake news, and the various available digital measures that can control it and to provide a sound record keeping digital regulation to identify all individual social media users. The study is premised on the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior and the source credibility theory. The study adopts the online survey research method in studying 253 media scholars - all members o...