ABSTRACT

Social media is used for falsehood and all sorts in other to discredit or cause tension, agitations, rancour, resentment, bitterness or umbrage along the divides of any society. It cuts across a great number of people, dealing with all human endeavour. Due to its nature, it becomes possible for it to be used as a tool for political propaganda. Fake news is highly problematic. Fake news, which are often prompted by one or more high-profile incident(s) involving extreme forms, tend to overlook the variation behind the term. This study sort out to highlight why and how political actors just as publicists pick the social media platforms as a means for spreading fake news. The study examined users of certain social networking sites such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram etc. and why they spread fake news without verifying. The survey research design was employed using the Taro Yamane’s formula with the simple random sampling technique. 400 respondents were sampled out of which 380 were returned successfully. The findings of the study revealed that social media is dynamic and because of its spontaneity, many people see it as an avenue to spread ills or violence, verbal attacks and discredit smooth running of the government. Carefully vetting one’s sources, and not allowing the social identity ideology to rope you in will help in curb fake news on social media.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

DECLARATION ii      

CERTIFICATION iii

DEDICATION iv  

ABSTRACT v

TABLE OF CONTENTS        

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem 5

1.3 Objectives of the Study 5

1.4 Research Questions 6

1.5 Significance of the Study 7

1.6 Scope of the Study 8

1.7 Limitations of the Study 8

1.8 Definition of Terms 8

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical Framework 9

2.1.1 Social Identity Theory 9

2.1.2 Social Interaction and UGT 12

2.2 Review of Concepts 13

2.2.1 Fake News 13

2.2.2 Historical Evolution of Fake News 16

2.2.3 The Psychology of Fake News 18

2.2.4 How Fake News Spreads 20

2.2.5 Traditional News Process 23

2.2.6 Internet News Process 24

2.2.7 Fake News and Cyber Propaganda 26

2.2.8 Combating Fake News 28

2.2.9 Groundwork for Social media Research 30

2.3 Review of Related Studies 31

2.4 Summary of Reviewed Studies 31

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODS

3.1 Research Design 34

3.2 Population of the Study 34

3.3 Sample and Sampling Procedure 34

3.4 Instruments for Data Collection 35

 3.5   Validity & Reliability 35

3.6 Methods of Data Presentation and Analysis 36

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Data Presentation 37

4.2 Administration and Retrieval of Data 37

4.3 Discussion of Findings 50

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary of Findings 51

5.2 Conclusion 52

5.3 Recommendations 52 

REFERENCES 55

APPENDIX I 59

APPENDIX II