Spotlighting the Cankers of Democracy: Politicians’ Dissemination of Fake News and Propaganda in Nigeria

Abstract

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There exists a symbiotic relationship between the media and politics. From military rule in Nigeria to present-day democracy, political actors and public have used media for the exchange of information. While both parties try to influence the news, political actors with wealth and power dominate the media and use it for their personal gains. Hence, the current study aimed to examine the role of politicians in spreading fake news while highlighting some cases. Employing the propaganda model and framing theory, the study used secondary data as well as primary data where quantitative research methodology was used. Three hundred and seventy-three (373) Plateau State residents were purposively selected and analysed for the study. Findings revealed that the heavy use of social media has enabled the politicians to sponsor the spread of fake news which harms democracy practised in Nigeria. The spread and use of propaganda lead towards poor decision-making at the polls. It is therefore, recommended that, media organizations fact-check every piece of information, realign their ideologies, and stop being willing tools of political actors to gain the trust of public.