Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mapping Fake News Misinformation and Health Communication Gaps in The Wake of Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria
Mapping Fake News Misinformation and Health Communication Gaps in The Wake of Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Abstract:- The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way misinformation are shared and disseminated in Nigeria in
the world communicates, particularly in Nigeria with its order to design effective countermeasures. This paper will
high prevalence of fake news and misinformation. This discuss how to map fake news, misinformation and health
study aims to map the fake news, misinformation and communication gaps in Nigeria in the wake of the Covid-19
health communication gaps in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
pandemic in Nigeria through the use of mixed method
data. A combination of qualitative and quantitative data The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased
collection methods was used to explore the sources of fake need for mapping fake news, misinformation and health
news and misinformation, the mediums through which it communication gaps in Nigeria. It is essential to understand
is shared and the impact on health communication. the local context and identify the sources of fake news and
Survey was conducted to collect quantitative data on the misinformation in order to design effective countermeasures.
prevalence of fake news in Nigeria. Qualitative interviews Additionally, it is important to understand the health
will be conducted to gain a better understanding of the communication gaps in Nigeria and design campaigns and
context and motivations driving the spread of interventions to address them. By understanding the local
misinformation. Findings revealed that the lack of access context and identifying the sources of fake news and
to reliable health information and services has further misinformation, it is possible to design effective
exacerbated the spread of misinformation and has made countermeasures to combat the spread of fake news and
it difficult for citizens to make informed decisions about misinformation in Nigeria.
their health and safety. The study recommends amongst
others that; the government should ensure that accurate The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a surge in
health information is made available to the public misinformation about the virus and its effects, making it
through effective health communication strategies, that difficult for people to access reliable health information. In
the government should also ensure that all stakeholders Nigeria, the prevalence of fake news, misinformation, and
are involved in the development of health communication health communication gaps has become increasingly
strategies, so that all views are heard and taken into problematic in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Fake
consideration. news is defined as false information or hoaxes spread
intentionally and maliciously, often to further political,
Keywords:- Fake News, Misinformation, Health ideological, or financial interests (Gans, 2020).
Communication, COVID-19, Nigeria. Misinformation is false information spread unintentionally,
often through ignorance or misunderstanding (Gans, 2020).
I. INTRODUCTION The goal of this study is to map the prevalence of fake news
and misinformation in relation to Covid-19 in Nigeria, as
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of well as to identify any health communication gaps that may
people around the world in unprecedented ways. In the wake exist. This mapping will be conducted by analyzing data
of the pandemic, the spread of misinformation and fake news from news reports, social media, and other sources in order to
has become a major concern. In Nigeria, the pandemic has determine the prevalence of fake news and misinformation in
caused a significant increase in the spread of misinformation. Nigeria. Additionally, interviews and surveys will be
This has made it difficult for people to access reliable health conducted to identify any health communication gaps that
information and has also caused confusion over the best may exist. The results of this study will be used to inform
measures to take to protect oneself and others from the virus. health communication strategies in Nigeria, in order to ensure
that the public has access to reliable and accurate information
Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there about the Covid-19 pandemic.
has been an increased need for mapping fake news,
misinformation and health communication gaps in Nigeria. Fake news, misinformation, and health communication
Fake news and misinformation are a global issue and have gaps have been international issues that have been growing in
recently been a topic of discussion in Nigeria. These false prevalence over the past few years. However, the pandemic
and misleading statements distort the public’s perception of of Covid-19 has further highlighted the need to address these
the pandemic and thus, interfere with the efforts to contain issues. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a rapid spread of
the virus. It is essential to understand how fake news and information, some of it true and some of it fake, which has