Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje has commended a PhD in Mass Communication student from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Isah Nasidi, for developing a model that will ease the understanding of the information disorder ecosystem, also known as fake news.
The model, the Source, Agent, Message, Channel, Audience and Victim (SAMCAV), is the first of its kind in the study of information disorder and also discovers the fourth typology of information disorder which he called dil-information.
Ganduje in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Abba Anwar, on Sunday in Kano said:” as a young man who achieved this level in communication study, an indigene of Kano state and a PhD student of Mass Communication, from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN)
“I am pleased to, on behalf of the government and people of the state to congratulate Nasidi.
“The young researcher-developed what is needed the most at this era of information distortions for personal benefits or other reasons.
Gabnduje also praised the Nigerian media for popularising the author of the new communication model.
“It clearly indicates that Nigerian media practitioners are very much concerned about the raging fake news in the public domain,” he said.
NAN reports that the research is the outcome of the six months research fellowship of the Kwame Kari-Kari Fact-checking and Research Fellowship which selected 17 researchers from four West African countries to research information disorder.
The researcher who is also the Secretary of Communication History Division of International Communication Association (U.S.) said the SAMCAV model links six elements of information disorder; the Source, Agent, Message, Channel, Audience and Victim.
These elements are involved in the production, distribution and consumption of information disorder. Every one of these elements plays a vital role in polluting information which makes it unsafe for consumption.”
He added the model will help researchers and policymakers to know how disordered information flows and the effects it causes in society.
“Conventional communication models such as Harold Lasswell depicts communication as Who says What to Whom with what Effect.
”However, as abnormal as it is, the information disorder model depicts the flow as Who says What with what Intent through Who and What channel to Whom with what Effect”. (NAN)
