Social media and the Covid-19 pandemic

Observations from Nigeria

Bibliographic Data

ID20253152
AuthorsNgozika Anthonia Obi-Ani (0000-0003-0219-7460, University of Nigeria), Chinenye Anikwenze (University of Nigeria), Mathias Chukwudi Isiani (0000-0003-2202-6634, University of Nigeria, corresponding author)
EditorsBradley C Freeman (0000-0002-5088-4989)
Year2020
Volume7
Issue1
Pages1799483
Publication date2020-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCogent Arts and Humanities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2331-1983 • E-ISSN: 2331-1983
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23311983.2020.1799483
OpenAlexW3046056069
LanguageEN
Citations received40
References cited10

Social Media is an invaluable means of disseminating information to the citizenry; hence it is a powerful tool of propaganda. In lieu of the Nigerian situation, it acts as a two-edged sword as it allows citizens to be privy to information without impediments. However, this same tool has been used to misinform the populace and to circulate unverifiable and deceptive messages to citizens. As regards this, the basic question becomes: what are the advantages and disadvantages of the roles of social media in misinforming the general public about pandemics such as Covid-19? This qualitative study would explore social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, blogs, online newspapers, and YouTube where the contestations about the pandemic are most pronounced. Considering that these are the major mainstream forums used by the populace outside the World Health Organisations (WHO), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and State institutions, the most pervasive messages from these forums have been selected for analysis. The paper therefore interrogates the roles which social media play in either curtailing or aiding the spread of the news on the pandemic across the country. The paper concludes that the significance of Social Media outlets cannot be overemphasized with recourse to information dissemination. It also purports that these platforms have been abused as people hide under its anonymity to spread fake messages and instigate panic amongst members of the general public

Information Dissemination · Internet privacy · Mainstream · Media studies · Newspaper · Pandemic · Political science · Public relations · Social media · Sociology · Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection · Law · Medicine · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Social Media and Politics

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access