A QUALI-QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYSIS OF COVID-19 MISINFORMATION IN NIGERIA /
MERCY MORENIKE OGUNWOLE; SUPERVISOR: ASST. PROF. DR. TUĞBERK KAYA
- 108 sheets; 31 cm. Includes CD
Thesis (MSc) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Management Information Systems Department
Includes bibliography (sheets 73-93)
ABSTRACT The advent of social media platforms in this 21st century has given everyone the leverage to publish news without professional scrutiny or editorial. In crises like the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), fake news becomes more prominent with its consequential health effects. This research conducted a quali-quantitative social media content analysis of misinformation and fake news that circulated on social media platforms during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The research utilised BuzzSumo, a monitoring app, to compile a list of new articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Keywords such as “COVID-19”, “coronavirus”, and “Fake news” were used. The search began on 27th February 2020 (the date of the first case recorded in Nigeria). It concluded on 24th October 2020 (when the first wave of the pandemic subdued). The second stage of the research used FactCheckHub (a fact-checking website) to classify BuzzSumo’s data into different categories of fake news. The research found that the primary content type of COVID-19 fake news in Nigeria during the first pandemic wave was fabricated content (44%). The central theme of these pieces of fake news was based on health-related topics. Moreover, the multimedia format of most fake news during the first wave of the pandemic in Nigeria was text format. According to the research’s findings, Facebook was the leading social media platform that propagated most of the fake news in Nigeria during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The research also found no meaningful relationship between the COVID-19 misinformation curve and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases during the first wave of the pandemic in Nigeria. There should be tracking and assessing fake news and misinformation by health organizations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic is essential. Government stakeholders and Local communities must work hand-in-hand to debunk fake news and misinformation.