AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION OF POLITICAL MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG STUDENTS IN NUHU BAMALI POLYTECHNIC, ZARIA

Authors

  • ISAH YAHAYA ALIYU Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Nigeria.
  • ALIYU HUSSAINI Department of Mass Communication, Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Nigeria.
  • HUSSAIN ALHASSAN Department of Mass Communication, Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Nigeria.
  • ADAMU MUHAMMAD HAMID Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Nigeria.
  • SAHURA BALA TANKO Department of Development and Strategic Communication, University of Abuja, Nigeria.

Abstract

The prevalence of social media platforms has profoundly transformed political communication, offering unprecedented opportunities for political actors to disseminate messages to a vast audience. Political messages have increasingly been disseminated via social media, raising the issue of political manipulation, particularly concerning the youth population. This research paper investigated the awareness and perception of political manipulation in social media political messaging among students of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, Nigeria. Through a descriptive survey method, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 234 respondents, selected through a stratified random sampling technique. The findings reveal that the students have high exposure to social media political messages, and they agree to a high prevalence of political misinformation, blamed mostly on politicians. Further, some of the ways students identify misinformation include when information is posted by an anonymous source, spread by mischief makers, or spread by a fake website. Beyond the context of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, findings from the study provide insights that can inform digital media literacy initiatives among students to foster critical thinking and empower them to discern political manipulation, thereby bolstering their ability to engage in informed and constructive political discourse in an increasingly digitized political landscape.

Keywords:

Political Manipulation, Social Media, Political Communication, Digital Landscape, Students

Published

31-10-2023

How to Cite

ISAH YAHAYA ALIYU, ALIYU HUSSAINI, HUSSAIN ALHASSAN, ADAMU MUHAMMAD HAMID, & SAHURA BALA TANKO. (2023). AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION OF POLITICAL MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG STUDENTS IN NUHU BAMALI POLYTECHNIC, ZARIA. International Journal of Assessment and Evaluation in Education, 2(1). Retrieved from https://mediterraneanpublications.com/mejaee/article/view/192