Towards a Sustainable National Security: Examining the Effect of Regulations Against Fake News and Hate Speech in Nigerian Media
Keywords:
Fake News, Hate Speech, Regulations, National Security, Nigerian MediaAbstract
Sequel to the high prevalence of ventilating fake news, misinformation,
and hate speech in the media, most especially by social media users; and
taking into cognisance the resultant insecurity, instability, and disunity
that such an act portends, many countries including Nigeria, have been
swiftly responding, by formulating different policies to "regulate" the use
of social media platforms and its contents, to curtail the growing menace.
This study which is hinged on agenda setting theory, therefore,
investigated whether or not all these regulations have been of any effect to
curb or completely eradicate the ugly trend in the Nigerian society and media space. The study utilised library research to arrive at secondary
data and thematically discussed the topic by dissecting existing and
relevant scholarly literature and articles that are useful for understanding
the issues surrounding the investigation. Findings revealed that these
regulations in Nigeria are not only repressive but ineffective; and that
social media users could hardly be encumbered by government
regulations, at least for now, largely because of the nature of the internet
which is not limited by geographical boundaries. The study, therefore,
recommended among others, that both the government and media owners
should organise, from time to time, media literacy campaigns that will
instill a sense of responsible use of the media space in the consciousness
of social media users.