Fake News and State-Diaspora Relations in Nigeria, 2015-2020

Abstract

The advanced technological space has today democratised the territorial space of the mass media. Its primary function of informing, educating and entertaining have shaped the perception and influenced action of people as their watchdogs, agenda setting and force multipliers. On the contrary, this breakthrough in information communication technology has turned many people to untrained practicing journalist and made some trained journalists to become arm chair journalists, who publish to perish. In a bid to combat the spread of fake news in Nigeria given the volatility of the nation, the government and the people have been on the toes of journalist but all efforts seem fruitless. With the aid of agenda setting theory, we observed that there is a nexus between fake news and erosion of trust among Nigerian government and Nigerians in Diaspora on issues of national security. We recommend legislation against fake news peddling and a proactive action by the government to stop the inferno.