Investigating the Claims and Spread of Misinformation on Covid-19 across different Media Platforms in Nigeria

Abstract

The misinformation spread about Covid-19 in Nigerian media is the main topic of the paper. All Nigerian nationals made up the study’s population, which was conducted using an ethnography observation and interview. In Lagos State, Nigeria, 50 respondents made up the study’s sample. It was decided to use a multistage sampling process that combines a simple random sampling technique with a purposive sampling strategy. To gather data, it uses in-depth interviews, observations, documents, and field notes to collect data. For the sake of answering the study questions, the gathered data were examined using narrative analysis. The research findings identified a variety of false information and unreliable information sources in Nigerian media. It was recommended that the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for preventive measures should be followed and also advised. This endeavor can assist combat false information on Covid-19 in Nigeria. The initial beneficiaries of this information are typically relatives and friends; people who propagate these misconceptions and false information must stop doing so to prevent placing the lives of those they love in grave danger, before accepting or spreading any information on COVID-19, people should verify the source.