TY - JOUR
T1 - Fake News as Disruptive Media
T2 - A Digital Age Challenge in Nigeria
AU - Omoera, Osakue Stevenson
AU - Uwalaka, Temple
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s).
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - critical thinking
KW - digital media literacy
KW - disinformation
KW - disruptive media
KW - fake news
KW - global digital challenge
KW - misinformation
KW - Nigeria
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85168448791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.11114/smc.v11i6.6240
DO - 10.11114/smc.v11i6.6240
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85168448791
SN - 2325-8071
VL - 11
SP - 208
EP - 221
JO - Studies in Media and Communication
JF - Studies in Media and Communication
IS - 6
ER -