Influence of political hate-speech on social media, its implication on Nigeria democracy

Abstract

The study examines Influence of Political Hate-Speech on Social Media, its Implication on Nigeria Democracy. The study employed quantitative research approach. Using simple random sampling, seven departments were selected out of fifteen faculties and copies of questionnaire were administered to respondents randomly. With the help of trained research assistants, 350 copies of the instrument for data collection (questionnaire) were administered, out of which 340 were valid and 10 were invalid. The valid data collected copies of questionnaire constituted the sample size of the study. The study is anchored on Social Responsibility Media Theory which was developed by F. S. Siebert, T. B. Peterson and W. Schramm in (1963) as part of the 4 normative theories. The Theory of Social Responsibility in media theory emerged as a response to growing concerns about the role and impact of media in society. It evolved from a broader framework known as the normative media theory, which examines the ethical and moral responsibilities of media organizations. The results obtained were analyzed and presented in frequency and percentage method. The study concluded that hate speech is prevalent on social media and it aims to hurt people with impoliteness or offensive words. The study recommended among others that hate speech should be treated as a serious crime and promoters of hate speech should be punished appropriately regardless of the class.