Abstract:
Media literacy and fake news has become an important topic in today’s media and
society. Scholars have studied the domain and have attributed the increase in the spread
of fake news to the audience inability to distinguish false information from true one,
especially in a technological era where citizen journalism is thriving. Several studies
have established that a major way to curbing the problem of fake news is equipping the
audience with media literacy skills. In Ghana, there is little empirical studies on fake
news and media literacy. This study, therefore, seeks to investigate how communication
education is integrating the teaching of fake news and media literacy in their curricula,
using the Ghana Institute of journalism as its case study. The study is underpinned by
the student engagement theory, media literacy theory, and the new media framework.
Employing a qualitative approach and case study design, data were collected through
interviews, focus group discussion, and document analysis. Thematically analyzed data
shows that most lecturers at the institute teach an aspect of media literacy and fake news
in class even though it is not on their course outline. Analyzed data also reveals that
some students had some level of understanding of media literacy and fake news. The
study recommended that media literacy and fake news study should become a required
course that all universities offer in Ghana.
Description:
THEOROSE ELIKPLIM DZINEKU
(200020646)
A thesis in the Department of Communication and Media Studies,
Faculty of Foreign Languages Education and Communication,
submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Media Studies)
in the University of Education, Winneba
MARCH, 2021