Curbing the scourge of fake news before it ruins us

The proliferation of fake news and misinformation has become an alarming global issue posing significant threat to the peace of the society, public discourse, and individuals well- being. Fake news comes in various forms, including fabricated stories, misleading headlines and manipulated images and videos. To categorise a news item as fake, they meet three criteria of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. Misinformation refers to the spread of inaccurate or misleading information albeit without the intention to deceive. Such information stems from the misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or genuine errors on the part of the disseminator or messenger. Meanwhile, while disinformation is a deliberate creation and spread of false information with the intent to deceive and manipulate public opinion, malinformation involves the spread of genuine information with the purpose of causing harm. This can include the public discourse of private information, such as personal data or documents to damage reputation. The authority (illegitimate one) of fake news is facilitated by unprofessionalism of some media practitioners and arbitrary use of social media by the populace.

In 2019 a poll conducted for the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) revealed that 86% of the respondents said they were affected by fake news. According to CIGI, the survey of global attitudes “not only underscores the fragility of the Internet, but also netizens' growing discomfort with social media and the power these corporations wield over their daily lives."

Another finding by the University of Cambridge in 2023 revealed that Generation Z and heavy Internet users were more likely to fall victims “of fake headlines, while older people and legacy media consumers succeeded in identifying real headlines” The 2023 Misinformation Index has also revealed how celebrities and famous people were victims of fake news. Among the victims of fake news in 2023 was Elon Musk who tops the Index with 157,385 engagements, which shows prominent role in both tech and media. This positioned him as a frequent target of fake news. From sports, soccer players like Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. were victims of fake news in the year under review. Their appearance on the fake news sphere predominantly emanated from their transfers stories which garnered significant public attention and misinformation.

The introduction of sophisticated technology such AI and deepfakes are increasingly used by individuals to create, promote and spread unfounded and baseless stories about popular or famous individuals. Former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari’s rumoured death and he being replaced by a “body double, Jubril from Sudan” spread like wildfire online and in interpersonal communication in 2018. Some manipulated photos and videos of the former Nigerian leader were equally shared online by the purveyors of fake information to support their unfounded information. One of the victims of the manipulated photos was the then Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, who sponsored the spread of the doctored photos of the former president.

The surge in fake news can be attributed to various factors such as the ease of content creation, the rapid spread on social media and the absence of fact-checking mechanism. Intentional blackmail, where some unscrupulous individuals seek some monetary or other gains also give rise to fake news.

Among the effects of fake news are: psychological impact, causing individuals exposed to fake news to experience anxiety, fear, or anger; damage to reputation of individuals, organizations, or public figures can suffer severe harm to their reputation due to misleading information. Once misinformation spreads, it can be challenging to correct, and the reputational damage may have lasting consequence. Erosion of trust is another significant danger of fake news. When individuals are repeatedly exposed to false or misleading information, they become sceptical of news outlet which will create a society of uncertainty because they are known for spreading fake news.

Also, during health crisis, misinformation can have several consequences. False information about treatment, preventive measures or the nature of a disease could lead to misguided action and ultimately contribute to the spread of illness. Psychological impact: individuals exposed to fake news may experience anxiety, fear, or anger. The personal psychological effect could extend to societal level, influencing collective mood and behaviour.

Some people worry that if we go too hard against fake news, we might accidentally stop people from freely expressing their opinions. They are concerned that if we are not careful, trying to stop the spread of fake news could end up blocking different points of view. While this concern might appear genuine, it is not significant as waging war against creation and spread of fake information is not similar to limiting freedom of speech.

We suggest three main ways to tackle fake news first is to teach people how to tell if information is true or false, second, making sure social media and news websites uses tools to check facts and show how they decide what news to show us and third, creating fair rules that target those who deliberately spread false information while still letting people express themselves freely it is a mix of information, technology and sensible rules

We emphasise that fighting fake news is a job of everyone—private individuals, the journalists, the government, parents and teachers. Nobody should accept unsubstantiated information. Everyone should verify any information that contains bogus or too-good-to-believe claims and intervene immediately to declare that such claims are fake if found so. Another important way to avoid being victim of fake is to have media literacy and critical thinking of what we receive. For the government, it is imperative that sharing fake information should be met with stiff penalty, punishing those who create and or share fake news.