by CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the Study
In the digital age, the rapid spread of information across social media platforms and online news outlets has transformed how people access and consume news. While this technological advancement has enabled greater access to real-time information, it has also facilitated the proliferation of fake news misleading or completely false information presented as legitimate news (Lazer et al., 2019). The emergence of fake news has raised significant concerns about its influence on public opinion, news consumption patterns, and trust in credible journalism. Fake news thrives in the current information ecosystem, often disseminated for political propaganda, financial gain, or entertainment. The viral nature of fake news, especially on social media platforms, can shape public perception and behavior.
According to a study by Guess, Nyhan, and Reifler (2019), individuals exposed to fake news are more likely to question the reliability of all news sources, leading to growing skepticism and the erosion of trust in traditional media. Fake news can have profound effects on democratic processes, public health, and societal cohesion. During critical events like elections and pandemics, the circulation of false information has led to widespread misinformation, conspiracy theories, and even violence (Pennycook & Rand, 2019). As a result, media consumers often struggle to distinguish between accurate and fabricated news, altering their consumption habits by either avoiding news entirely or relying on familiar sources regardless of credibility (Nielsen & Graves, 2019). The assessment of the credibility of online sources (e.g., creators of and to content) is generally more complicated than in traditional media because “of the multiplicity of sources [such as contributors] embedded in the numerous layers of online dissemination”. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, have enabled information to flow faster than ever before, consequently increasing the speed in which false information can spread online (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017).
Information that is not credible may lead to inaccurate beliefs and result in misperception, which could undermine democratic decision-making processes (Hameleers & van der Meer, 2019). Because it has become difficult for individuals to assess and evaluate information they encounter online, a number of online services (e.g., Snopes, Hoax-Slayer, Politifact, Factcheck) have emerged in an effort to evaluate the credibility of online information through a process that involves fact-checking by an editorial team. However, research has shown that these services have a limited reach on consumers of non-credible information. As such, there is an increasing need to examine the credibility on a broader scale by using computer-assisted processing with human evaluation. The web serves as a prolific platform for collaboration and co-creation, which has enormous potential to address the issue of online credibility assessment.
In Nigeria, the issue of fake news has also become increasingly prominent. The rise in mobile phone usage and internet access has given room for the uncontrolled spread of unverified information, especially via WhatsApp and Facebook (Umar & Ibrahim, 2020). Users actively engage with internet content, producing their own messages based on it and participating multidisciplinary dialogues through various channels. This asymmetrical context and the escalating dissemination of false or speculative content have prompted journalistic entities, news agencies, and governments globally to establish verification channels for users to authenticate news accuracy. These platforms have faced criticism for not only facilitating but also amplifying the dissemination of fake news.
Statement of the Problem
The proliferation of fake news has emerged as a major challenge in the contemporary media landscape, significantly affecting how audiences consume and evaluate the credibility of news content. With the rise of social media and digital communication platforms, misinformation and disinformation are now more easily and rapidly disseminated than ever before, often blurring the lines between factual reporting and fabricated stories (Pennycook & Rand, 2019). This development has contributed to growing public skepticism toward media organizations and news content, thereby eroding trust in traditional and digital news sources alike (Tandoc, Lim & Ling, 2020).
Among university students, who are heavy users of social media and digital information platforms, fake news poses a significant threat to informed decision-making and critical engagement with societal issues.
