Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Journal of African Media Studies
  4. Volume 14, Issue 3
  5. Article
Volume 14, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 2040-199X
  • E-ISSN: 1751-7974

Abstract

This article examines the coronavirus pandemic against a burgeoning culture of post-truth in social media. The theoretical narrative reviews the social media cum post-truth epoch and identifies network fluidity of the medium, absence of gatekeepers, tempering of human thinking with machine thinking, and supremacy of alternative facts over truth as basic ingredients that oil-free reign of manipulative and propulsive forces of coronavirus’ conspiracy theories, forged news, tricky data, and disinformation. The article asserts that as the bubbles of post-truth swear up in the online media, conned objectivity and rationality are conjured to stimulate strong sentiments capable of making individuals uphold wrong beliefs about coronavirus. The study suggests the use of human actions in managing coronavirus information rather than surrendering it to machine-based computational procedures. It recommends the teaching of media literacy in African schools to moderate the consumption of information in a world suffused with infodemics.

© 2022 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00087_1
2022-09-01
2025-03-17
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Alba, D.. ( 2020;), ‘ Virus conspiracists elevate a new champion. ’, The New York Times, 9 May, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/09/technology/plandemic-judy-mikovitz-coronavirus-disinformation.html. Accessed 7 September 2022.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Anon. ( 2020;), ‘ The Guardian view on the WHO and coronavirus: Trump’s blame game. ’, The Guardian, 15 April, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/15/the-guardian-view-on-the-who-and-coronavirus-trumps-blame-game. Accessed 7 September 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Balkhair, A. A.. ( 2020;), ‘ COVID-19 pandemic: A new chapter in the history of infectious diseases. ’, Oman Medical Journal, 35:2, https://doi.org/10.5001%2Fomj.2020.41. Accessed 23 January 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Baum, M. A., and Groeling, T.. ( 2008;), ‘ New media and the polarization of American political discourse. ’, Political Communication, 25:4, pp. 345–65.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. BBC ( 2020a;), ‘ Coronavirus: Garlic, heat, ice cream dey among fake COVID-19 disease advice you need to ignore. ’, 10 March, https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-51799426. Accessed 13 July 2020.
  6. BBC ( 2020b;), ‘ Coronavirus: Why some Nigerians are gloating about Covid-19. ’, 23 April, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52372737. Accessed 18 July 2020.
  7. BBC ( 2020c;),  ‘ Coronavirus: Donald Trump vows not to order Americans to wear masks. ’, 18 July, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53453468. Accessed 25 July 2020.
  8. BBC Monitoring and UGC Newsgathering ( 2020;), ‘ China coronavirus: Misinformation spreads online about origin and scale. ’, 30 January, https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51271037. Accessed 12 August 2020.
  9. Bender, K.. ( 2020;), ‘ Scientists warn of greater airborne range for SARS-CoV-2. ’, Contagion Live, 10 July, https://www.contagionlive.com/news/scientists-warn-greater-airborne-range-sars-cov-2. Accessed 19 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Berger, J.,, Werbach, K.,, Fader, P. S., and Yildirim, P.. ( 2019;), ‘ The impact of social media: Is it irreplaceable?. ’, Knowledge@Wharton, 26 July, https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/impact-of-social-media/. Accessed 10 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Biesecker, B. A.. ( 2018;), ‘ Guest editor’s introduction: Toward an archaeogenealogy of post-truth. ’, Philosophy & Rhetoric, 51:4, pp. 329–41.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Brannon, V. C.. ( 2019), Free Speech and the Regulation of Social Media Content, R45650, Congressional Research Service;, 27 March, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45650.pdf. Accessed 21 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Bria, F.. ( 2013;), ‘ Social media and their impact on organizations: Building firm celebrity and organizational legitimacy through social media. ’, Ph.D. thesis, London:: Imperial College London, http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/24944. Accessed 21 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Brindha, D.,, Jayaseelan, R., and Kadeswaran, S.. ( 2020;), ‘ Social media reigned by information or misinformation about COVID-19: A phenomenological study. ’, SSRN Electronic Journal, 9:3, pp. 585–602, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340606796_Social_Media_Reigned_by_Information_or_Misinformation_About_COVID19_A_Phenomenological_Study. Accessed 3 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Carducci, A.,, Federigi, I., and Verani, M.. ( 2020;), ‘ COVID-19 airborne transmission and its prevention: Waiting for evidence or applying the precautionary principle?. ’, Atmosphere, 11:7, p. 710.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Charles, D.. ( 2020;), ‘ Fact check: Premature – Trump continues to claim drug can treat coronavirus. ’, National Public Radio (NPR), 3 April, https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/03/827177623/fact-check-premature-trump-continues-to-claim-drug-can-treat-coronavirus. Accessed 11 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Cheng, J.,, Bernstein, M.,, Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil, C., and Leskovec, J.. ( 2017;), ‘ Anyone can become a troll: Causes of trolling behavior in online discussions. ’, Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, Portland, Oregon, 25 February–1 March, New York:: Association for Computing Machinery;, pp. 1217–30.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Cho, Y.,, Hwang, J., and Lee, D.. ( 2012;), ‘ Identification of effective opinion leaders in the diffusion of technological innovation: A social network approach. ’, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 79:1, pp. 97–106.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Chukwuorji, J. C., and Iorfa, S. K.. ( 2020;), ‘ Commentary on the coronavirus pandemic: Nigeria. ’, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12:S1, pp. 188–90, https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/tra0000786. Accessed 5 August 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Craven, J.. ( 2020;), ‘ WHO clarifies comments on asymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2. ’, Medscape, 10 June, https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/932088. Accessed 5 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Davis, J. T.,, Perra, N.,, Zhang, Q.,, Moreno, Y., and Vespignani, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Phase transitions in information spreading on structured populations. ’, Nature Physics, 16:5, pp. 590–96.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Deane, J.. ( 2004;), ‘ The context of communication for development. ’, 9th United Nations Roundtable on Communication for Development, Rome, 9 September.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Deibert, R. J.. ( 2019;), ‘ The road to digital unfreedom: Three painful truths about social media. ’, Journal of Democracy, 30:1, pp. 25–39.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Faivre Le Cadre, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Black people aren’t more resistant to novel coronavirus. ’, AFP Fact Check, 12 February, https://factcheck.afp.com/black-people-arent-more-resistant-novel-coronavirus. Accessed 23 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Faivre Le Cadre, A., and Dube, T.. ( 2020;), ‘ Madagascan president has not called on African states to quit WHO. ’, AFP South Africa, 25 May, https://factcheck.afp.com/madagascan-president-has-not-called-african-states-quit-who. Accessed 23 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Hidayah, A. R.. ( 2018;), ‘ Persecution act as filter bubble effect: Digital society and the shift of public sphere. ’, Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, 22:2, pp. 112–26.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Huffadine, L.. ( 2018;), ‘ How trolls make money from their online hate speech. ’, Stuff: Digital Living, 13 July, https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/104974643/how-trolls-make-money-from-their-online-hate-speech. Accessed 18 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Hu, Z.,, Yang, Z.,, Li, Q.,, Zhang, A., and Huang, Y.. ( 2020;), ‘ Infodemiological study on COVID-19 epidemic and COVID-19 infodemic. ’, Preprints, https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202002.0380/v3. Accessed 18 April 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Hui, D. S.,, Azhar, E. I.,, Madani, T. A.,, Ntoumi, F.,, Kock, R.,, Dar, O., and Petersen, E.. ( 2020;), ‘ The continuing 2019-nCoV epidemic threat of novel coronaviruses to global health: The latest 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. ’, International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 91, pp. 264–66, https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ijid.2020.01.009. Accessed 5 June 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Illing, S.. ( 2018;), ‘ A philosopher explains America’s “post-truth” problem. ’, Vox, 14 August, https://www.vox.com/2018/8/14/17661430/trump-post-truth-politics-philosophy-simon-blackburn. Accessed 20 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Inagaki, N.. ( 2007), Communicating the Impact of Communication for Development: Recent Trends in Empirical Research, No. 120, Washington, DC: World Bank Publications;.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Kasongo, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Nobel winner Denis Mukwege rejects “fake patients” quote circulating online. ’, AFP, 19 June, https://factcheck.afp.com/nobel-winner-denis-mukwege-rejects-fake-patients-quote-circulating-online. Accessed 5 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Katz, E., and Lazarsfeld, P. F.. ( 1955), Personal Influence, New York:: The Free Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Khollam, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Fact check: Was Dr Anthony Fauci’s ex-employee in prison for exposing COVID-19 pandemic?. ’, Republicworld.com, 7 May, https://www.republicworld.com/fact-check/viral/fact-check-dr-anthony-faucis-ex-employee-in-prison.html. Accessed 25 June 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Kulundu, M.. ( 2020;), ‘ Voice dismissed as poor imitation of country’s leader. ’, AFP Kenya, 10 July, https://factcheck.afp.com/voice-dismissed-poor-imitation-countrys-leader. Accessed 18 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Le Cam, F., and Domingo, D.. ( 2015;), ‘ The tyranny of immediacy: Gatekeeping practices in French and Spanish online newsrooms. ’, in T. P. Vos, and F. Heinderyckx. (eds), Gatekeeping in Transition, London:: Routledge;, pp. 123–40.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Li, R.,, Pei, S.,, Chen, B.,, Song, Y.,, Zhang, T.,, Yang, W., and Shaman, J.. ( 2020;), ‘ Substantial undocumented infection facilitates the rapid dissemination of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). ’, Science, 368:6490, pp. 489–93.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Li, X.,, Wang, W.,, Zhao, X.,, Zai, J.,, Zhao, Q.,, Li, Y., and Chaillon, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Transmission dynamics and evolutionary history of 2019-nCoV. ’, Journal of Medical Virology, 92:5, pp. 501–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Lippi, G., and Plebani, M.. ( 2020;), ‘ Asymptomatic COVID-19 transmission: The importance of avoiding official miscommunication. ’, Diagnosis, 7:4, pp. 347–48.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Llorente, J. A., and Zarzalejos, J. A.. ( 2017;), ‘ The post-truth era: Reality vs perception. ’, Uno Magazine, 27, https://www.uno-magazine.com/number-27/. Accessed 25 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. MacCormick, J.. ( 2012), Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today’s Computers, Princeton, NJ:: Princeton: University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Mackey, T. P., and Jacobson, T. E.. ( 2019;), ‘ Metaliterate learning for the post-truth world. ’, American Library Association, 13 December, http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/12/metaliterate-learning-post-truth-world. Accessed 25 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. McNamee, P.,, Mendolia, S., and Yerokhin, O.. ( 2021;), ‘ Social media use and emotional and behavioural outcomes in adolescence: Evidence from British longitudinal data. ’, Economics & Human Biology, 41, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2021.100992. Accessed 2 December 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Ndlela, M. N.. ( 2020;), ‘ Social media algorithms, bots and elections in Africa. ’, in M. Ndlela, and W. Mano. (eds), Social Media and Elections in Africa, London:: Palgrave Macmillan;, pp. 13–37.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Oji, M.. ( 2016;), ‘ Poverty alleviation agencies’ information campaigns and the information gained by the vulnerable in the Niger Delta. ’, Journal of Global Communication, 9:2, pp. 65–73.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Oji, M.. ( 2018;), ‘ Government mobilization of public opinion in support of its communicated anti-corruption policies. ’, in P. Umaru. (ed.), Media Reflections on Governance and Development in Nigeria, Ontario:: Canada University Press;, pp. 31–61.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Oji, M., and Bebenimibo, P.. ( 2021;), ‘ An examination of social media reportage and its impact towards promoting school development in Nigeria: A study of success Adegor’s Viral Video. ’, Journal of Educational and Social Research, 11:2, pp. 189–89.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Oji, M., and Erubami, J. A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Discourse on social media use and reading culture of Nigerian youths. ’, Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 9:6, p. 105.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Okunna, C. S.. ( 2002;), ‘ A quick look at development communication. ’, in C. S. Okunna. (ed.), Teaching Mass Communication: A Multidimensional Approach, Enugu:: New Generation Books;, pp. 293–302.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Oran, D. P., and Topol, E. J.. ( 2020;), ‘ Prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection: A narrative review. ’, Annals of Internal Medicine, 173:5, pp. 362–67.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Pan American Health Organization ( 2020;), ‘ Understanding the infodemic and misinformation in the fight against COVID-19. ’, Factsheet No. 5, https://iris.paho.org/bitstream/handle/10665.2/52052/Factsheet-infodemic_eng.pdf?sequence=14COVID19.https://iris.paho.org/bitstream/handle/10665.2/52052/Factsheet-infodemic_eng.pdf?sequence=14. Accessed 14 August 2020.
  52. Pariser, E.. ( 2011), The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You, London:: Penguin;.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Reece, D. J.. ( 2018;), ‘ Where is the truth? Where is the truth? Where is the truth?. ’, Jamaica Observer, 17 August, http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/where-is-the-truth-where-is-the-truth-_141755?profile=1444&template=MobileArticle. Accessed 23 August 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Rich, M. D.. ( 2018), Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life, Santa Monica:: Rand Corporation;.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Ryfe, D. M.. ( 2013), Can Journalism Survive?: An Inside Look at American Newsrooms, Cambridge and Maiden, MA:: Polity;.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Simons, B.. ( 2020;), ‘ Coronavirus: A time for conspiracy theories not only in Africa. ’, The Africa Report, 15 April, https://www.theafricareport.com/26249/coronavirus-a-time-for-conspiracy-theories-not-only-in-africa/. Accessed 28 April 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Strömbäck, J.,, Karlsson, M., and Hopmann, D. N.. ( 2012;), ‘ Determinants of news content: Comparing journalists’ perceptions of the normative and actual impact of different event properties when deciding what’s news. ’, Journalism Studies, 13:5&6, pp. 718–28.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. The International Civil Aviation Organization ( 2018), The World of Air Transport in 2018, ICAO, 29 July, https://www.icao.int/annual-report-2018/Pages/the-world-of-air-transport-in-2018.aspx. Accessed 5 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Tijani, M.. ( 2020;), ‘ Rwandan government rejects claim leader Paul Kagame opposed WHO over virus tonic. ’, AFP Nigeria, 22 June, https://factcheck.afp.com/rwandan-government-rejects-claim-leader-paul-kagame-opposed-who-over-virus-tonic. Accessed 28 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Turvill, W.. ( 2020;), ‘ Coronavirus misinformation on social media is costing lives: Doctors plead for help over Covid-19 falsehoods. ’, Press Gazette, 9 June, https://pressgazette.co.uk/coronavirus-misinformation-on-social-media-is-costing-lives-doctors-plead-for-help-over-covid-19-falsehoods/. Accessed 4 October 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. United States Census Bureau ( 2018;), ‘ World Population Day: July 11, 2022. ’, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/world-population-day.html. Accessed July 2020.
  62. Waisbord, S., and Larson, H.. ( 2005), Why Invest in Communication for Immunization: Evidence and Lessons Learned, Baltimore, MD and New York:: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Centre for Communication Programs: Health Communication Partnership, and The United Nations Children’s Fund;, https://s3.amazonaws.com/globalhpv/2018/11/12204332/Why-invest-in-communication-for-immunization.pdf. Accessed 24 February 2017.
     [Google Scholar]
  63. Warah, R.. ( 2004;), ‘ Divided city: Information poverty in Nairobi’s slums. ’, UN CHRONICLE, 41, pp.74–76.
     [Google Scholar]
  64. Watson, K.. ( 2020;), ‘ Coronavirus: Brazil’s Bolsonaro in denial and out on a limb. ’, BBC News, 29 March, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52080830. Accessed 18 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  65. World Health Organization ( 2020a;), ‘ Munich security conference. ’, 15 February, https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/munich-security-conference. Accessed 15 April 2020.
  66. World Health Organization ( 2020b;), ‘ Alcohol and COVID-19: What you need to know. ’, https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/437608/Alcohol-and-COVID-19-what-you-need-to-know.pdf. Accessed 27 August 2020.
  67. World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa ( 2020;), ‘ COVID-19: Inoculating against the “infodemic” in Africa. ’, 5 March, https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/70744. Accessed June 2020.
  68. Wu, D.,, Wu, T.,, Liu, Q., and Yang, Z.. ( 2020;), ‘ The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: What we know. ’, International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 94, pp. 44–48.
     [Google Scholar]
  69. Yoo, C. S.. ( 2006;), ‘ Ascending of participation approach: Excerpt from participation communication for development. ’, in A. G. Dagron, and T. Tuffe. (eds), Communication for Social Change, Anthology: Historical and Contemporary Readings, New Jersey, NJ:: CFSC Consortium, Inc.;, pp. 786–99.
     [Google Scholar]
  70. Oji, Majority. ( 2022;), ‘ Conspiracy theories, misinformation, disinformation and the coronavirus: A burgeoning of post-truth in the social media. ’, Journal of African Media Studies, 14:3, pp. 439–53, https://doi.org/10.1386/jams_00087_1
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00087_1
Loading
  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): Africa; coronavirus; infodemic; information algorithms; news; post-truth; social media; trolls

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test