COVID-19 INFODEMIC: PERCEPTION OF FAKE NEWS AMONG RESIDENTS OF IKEJA, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Infodemic is an admixture of accurate and inaccurate information that makes the solution to a problem more difficult to solve. The impact of the covid-19 pandemic cannot be overlooked due to the influx of false information relating to the virus which has the tendency to create panic and cause the people to make uninformed decisions as a result of the emergence of the internet that has opened up a whole new space that is accessible as day via the social media platforms. The aim of this study is to examine the level of media literacy and the perception of fake news among Ikeja residents of Lagos, State. The descriptive survey research design was adopted involving the use of questionnaire. The sample size for this study was 378 respondents selected from the total number of population in Ikeja residents of Lagos state which was sectioned into wards and thereafter, streets adopting the multi-stage sampling technique. To arrive at a sample selection, Taro Yamane formula was adopted to calculate it while in answering the hypothesis, Chi-square was adopted. In order to proceed in filling of the questionnaire, firsthand question on their understanding regarding fake news was sought purposively. Study shows that WhatsApp and Facebook were the most source of fake news. Also, the respondents negatively perceive fake news relating to the Covid-19 pandemic as it is viewed as alarming and shouldn‘t be overlooked. The study recommends that the respondents should discourage others from relying solely on social media for news on important issues as Covid-19