FAKE NEWS + MISINFORMATION
Study from Ghana emphasises Africa’s misinformation challenge Media messaging and misinformation in the African context must take into account ‘pavement media’ and other non-traditional information sources.
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OR BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENTS and community organisations, the rapid spread via social media of fake news and misinformation is a significant threat. Recent global examples include Covidrelated misinformation, disinformation around the US election, and fake news about the health impacts of 5G cellular technology. In the latter instance, there were attacks on employees of cellular networks who were believed to be installing 5G technology, as well as arson at sites believed to house cellular towers using 5G technology.
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Now, new research from Ghana emphasises that PR efforts intended to combat the spread of such misinformation in African countries must move beyond the Western-centred conception of what constitutes ‘media’ and take different local styles of media access and fact-checking into account. The study, published in the journal African Affairs, notes that social, traditional and ‘pavement media’ are all used to spread fake news and misinformation in the country. People who hear misinformation second-hand, or via ‘pavement radio’ are less likely to
Issue 2 2022
question it. As a consequence, say the researchers, the continent needs unique techniques to tackle the spread of misinformation. They note that discussions about current affairs in marketplaces, places of worship, bars and other social spaces – as well as through songs, sermons and graffiti – form a key part of the media ecosystem in Africa. These communication channels, combined with traditional media, mean that information from social media quickly crosses into offline spaces.
