Between Trust and Misinformation: A Study of User Engagement with Cloned Pages of ‘Daily Trust’ and ‘Vanguard’ Newspapers on Facebook

Abstract

This study explores the interaction between users and content on the ‘Daily Trust Hausa’ and ‘Vanguard Hausa’ cloned pages of the authentic ‘Daily Trust’ and ‘Vanguard’ newspapers on Facebook, with a focus on the prevalence of fake news and its implications for media trust. Using a survey methodology with a sample of 400 respondents selected purposively from the postgraduate student population across four public universities in the north-west of Nigeria, namely Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUS), the research examines the frequency of visits, encounters with posts and the users’ ability to discern fake news. The findings reveal a high engagement with these pages, yet a significant concern over the authenticity of news articles, leading to a cautious and sceptical approach towards online news sources. The implications of these results are profound, suggesting a need for enhanced content moderation, fact-checking measures and media literacy campaigns, particularly within the Nigerian digital media landscape. The study underscores the importance of journalistic integrity and collaborative efforts to combat misinformation, which is crucial for maintaining public discourse integrity and fostering informed citizenship globally.   Received: 19 April 2024 / Accepted: 23 June 2024 / Published: 8 July 2024