|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
When you follow that influencer who cracks jokes or drops lifestyle tips, you probably assume they’re a harmless voice. But in Nigeria’s information landscape, even trusted faces can become repeaters (whether intentional or not) of misleading content.
Social media influencers or people with large followings on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube now shape opinions faster than traditional media, and it is not always accidental.
According to a BBC investigation, during the buildup to Nigeria’s 2023 elections, political actors secretly paid some influencers up to $45,000 to push false narratives linking candidates to extremist groups, thereby manipulating public perception.
Influencers may share viral news simply because it seems trendy or relatable.
A media study emphasises that content users engage heavily, especially within friendship networks, often driving the spread of misinformation regardless of accuracy.
More Read
So when “everyone’s talking about it,” even otherwise trustworthy influencers pass it along, especially rumours that align with audience sentiments for their selfish interests.
How to Spot Influencer Misinformation
Missing or vague sources: If an influencer shares that “someone said” or “reports show” without linking to credible sources, it is a red flag and you should give that a second thought.
Emotional guilt-tripping: Messages using fear or shame, like “If you don’t share this…” often aim for virality instead of accuracy.
Paid content bias: Whenever posts pitch political or commercial stories, you need to double-check because you may be seeing sponsored manipulation disguised as opinions.
Context-less screenshots: Screenshots of tweets or government notices are easy to fabricate. A credible influencer will link back to the original tweet or information.
Consequences Of Influencers’ Misinformation
During the COVID‑19 crisis, misinformation from influencers contributed to public scepticism around health protocols and vaccine uptake in Nigeria, even though experts warned about its dangers.
Fake content also fuels ethnic tension and panic during election periods.
What Can You Do When You Suspect Misinformation?
- First, you have to take a pause and conduct a quick research.
- You can make searches about the claim (in quotes) on Google, as well as the influencer’s name, to see if it is a credible claim.
- Next, do the due diligence of cross-checking the sources of the claim.
- Check if any reputable media outlets like BBC, CNN, TheCable, PremiumTimes and others have reported it.
- You can even check ROUNDCHECK’s website fact-checking platform to see if a factcheck has been made on the claim.
- Another thing you should not fail to do is to ask questions.
- Check the comment section of the post made by the influencer to see if he or she is either acknowledging or affirming the certainty or uncertainty of their claims.
- You can also check to see if they are giving room to other social media users correcting them on the claim that they have made, given that it may be correct or incorrect.
- Don’t forget to report the red flags to credible organisations to factcheck.
- If it’s a political or dangerous misinformation, submit to ROUNDCHECK for thorough research.
Beware Of Scamfluencers
There are influencers whose entire purpose is to teach scams like “Format Boy,” famed in West Africa for deepfake scam tutorials.
He sells software and guides that help perpetuate fraud schemes, and some of his content appears on YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Telegram and Instagram.
Lastly, influencers shape what you see, but they don’t always know what they’re sharing and whether it is influenced by politics or trends, misinformation can spread fast even through trusted feeds.
So, next time your favourite influencer shares sensational news, treat it like any other viral claim by taking a pause, resist forwarding, and make efforts to verify.
