Abstract

We live in an era where technology has democratised virtually everything, the emergence of digital media did not just give birth to approaches different from how democratic culture seemed when conventional media thrived. Traditional media has been hijacked by the elites, resulting in the erosion of democratic culture, thanks to breakthroughs in technology; we now have what is called liberalised society with its inhabitants called digital citizenship. Keeping track of the development, this study place side by side the good and the bad (critique digitalisation) of digitalisation in a democratic society, putting into consideration the burning effect of fake news. The study argued that despite the ravaging consequences of fake news arising from the presence of digitalisation, town hall meeting of ancient Rome has been reintroduced into our democratic culture through social networking sites where political communication tend to be horizontal as against vertical flow in conventional media, hence, allowed massive participation by the citizens. The study pinned on Technological Determinism and Digital Dichotomy Theories. The research approach used in this study was qualitative, with materials sampled from secondary sources and personal observation of the researcher. The study found that good tidings are introduced into democratic society by digitalisation. There is an increase in internet divides and compliance by communities where it is lacking to erase exclusion, and inequalities exist in conventional media despite the unregulated tide of fake news bedevilling society. The study concludes that digital platforms are the only avenues government and her citizenry to converge to deliberate on issues affecting them and thereby make governance cheaper and more accessible by erasing distance as a barrier. The study recommended that sensitisation programmes be organised in both formal and informal settings to create awareness among communities, individuals and organisations about the negative impact of fake news in our democratic structure.

Key Words: Fake News, Digital Media, Digital Citizenship, Democratic Society

About the Author

* William Musa Madaki, Ph.D. is of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 15, No. 1, Special Issue 3, July 2023, pp. 41-49

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Madaki, W. M. (2023). Fake news, digital media and digital citizenship in democratic societies. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 15 (1, SP.3): 41-49

Full Article

Words: 6,225

Pages: 9

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