Dissemination of disinformation on political and electoral processes in Nigeria: An exploratory study

Autor: Idayat Hassan
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Cogent Arts & Humanities, Vol 10, Iss 1 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 23311983
2331-1983
DOI: 10.1080/23311983.2023.2216983
Popis: Increasingly, social media has become a major source of fake news, with disinformation used as a tool in manipulating public opinion and delegitimizing opposing voices. This study explores the influence of the content of social media on traditional media, and the proliferation of disinformation in the context of elections and accountability in Nigeria. Data were collected from 60 interviews and 18 focus group discussions with key stakeholders across Nigeria’s geo-political zones. The result shows the content of social media as shaping traditional media in addition to exacerbating pre-existing ethnic and religious tensions. The study recommends strengthening the positive elements of social media to weaken the threat posed by digital disinformation.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals