International Council for Education, Research and Training

Investigating the Claims and Spread of Misinformation on Covid-19 across different Media Platforms in Nigeria

Olorunda, Sola Elijah

School of Secondary Education, Department of Social Studies, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5818-0006

 

Abstract

The misinformation spread about Covid-19 in Nigerian media is the main topic of the paper. All Nigerian nationals made up the study’s population, which was conducted using an ethnography observation and interview. In Lagos State, Nigeria, 50 respondents made up the study’s sample. It was decided to use a multistage sampling process that combines a simple random sampling technique with a purposive sampling strategy. To gather data, it uses in-depth interviews, observations, documents, and field notes to collect data. For the sake of answering the study questions, the gathered data were examined using narrative analysis. The research findings identified a variety of false information and unreliable information sources in Nigerian media. It was recommended that the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for preventive measures should be followed and also advised. This endeavor can assist combat false information on Covid-19 in Nigeria. The initial beneficiaries of this information are typically relatives and friends; people who propagate these misconceptions and false information must stop doing so to prevent placing the lives of those they love in grave danger, before accepting or spreading any information on COVID-19, people should verify the source.


Keywords: Covid-19, Investigation, Misinformation, Media Platform.

Impact Statement

 

Investigating the Claims and Spread of Misinformation on COVID-19 across different Media Platforms in Nigeria as gathered momentum in the era of COVID-19, this paper focuses on activities of the government and citizens on COVID-19, its impact on the political and socio-economy of the nation, a lot of information were passed across different media outlet that jeopardize the health of the citizens about covid-19. The findings revealed that the experience of the citizen was based on information circulated on social media and the government launched an intervention to reduce the fake information that has led to panic among Nigerians. It was recommended that only information obtained from the World Health Organization should be relied on by the citizens and government and non-governmental organizations should intensify their efforts by sanitizing the populace with accurate and essential information about preventing of covid-19.

Author Profile

 

Olorunda Sola Elijah, a lecturer at Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, Nigeria, School of Secondary Education, Department of Social Studies. I am a trained educator and researcher who has worked with different educational Institutions. I have taught, researched, supervised, and brought the best out of the students on many occasions. I have attended conferences, workshops, and seminars for professionals. I have published my books and articles in both national and international journals including online. My research interest includes peace and conflict studies with a specialization in community resilience in vulnerable cities, also including social problems in contemporary society.

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