ANALYSIS OF NEGATIVE IMPACT OF FAKE NEWS TO EFFECTIVE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION: SOCIAL & MAINSTREAM MEDIA PERSPECTIVE

The deliberate spread of misleading information through social and mainstream media often known as fake news is on the rise. This generates serious concerns about the information that the public is being exposed to. This research project is titled "Analysis of Negative Impact of Fake News to Effective Information and Communication: Social and Mainstream Media Perspectives" in accordance with its particular objectives. This research aimed to define fake news, examine popular social media sites where it is shared, identify the motivations behind the spread of false information, and offer remedies for the detrimental impacts of fake news. The study used enhanced interviews and a structured questionnaire in three (3) local government areas in the state of Adamawa, Nigeria. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyze the data using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Additionally, the study used simple linear regression (SLR) in the test of hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance in addition to mean and standard deviation to address the research questions. The study's findings reduced the proliferation of fake news among all societal groups and examined the detrimental effects of fake news on accurate information and communication in society. It also argued for the government and other organizations to support awareness campaigns aimed at reducing the spread of fake news via social media and/or mainstream media due to its potential dangers.