Combating fake news: How increased media competences can curb disinformation trends in Nigeria.
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Date
2023
Authors
Onyemechi Okocha, Desmond
Akpe, Samuel
Rukevwe, Idonor Emmanuella
Odeba, Ben Ita
Advisors
Editors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios - UNIMINUTO
Type
Book chapter
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Abstract
This study examined how Nigerians understood fake news. It took a qualitative
approach, conducting in-depth interviews with 30 journalists to determine their
understanding of fake news and explore how media literacy can help combat
fake news. The sample was purportedly drawn from Nigeria’s six geopolitical
zones to ensure representativeness. Gatekeeping Theory and Public Sphere
Theory were used to better understand how journalists use their professional
role of vetting information and releasing only credible information to the public.
The analyzed data show that social networks facilitate the spread of false news
more than mainstream media. The findings also show that fake news spreads
due to factors such as time constraints, clickbait, user-generated content, and
competitiveness.
Description
Capítulo completo en acceso abierto que hace parte de la obra Media and information literacy for the public good: UNESCO MILID Yearbook 2023.
Keywords
Desinformación, Noticias falsas, Periodismo, Periodista, Contenido generado por el usuario, Nigeria, Disinformation, Fake news, Journalism, Journalist, Misinformation, Clickbait, User-generated content, Nigeria