The virality of misinformation: A comparative study of audience news values in the engagement with authentic and fake news in Nigeria

Abstract The Nigerian digital news landscape is increasingly characterized by the high velocity and reach of misinformation, posing a severe threat to public discourse and democracy. While the fact of its virality is established, there is a lack of empirical understanding of the specific news values that make fake news content more engaging to Nigerian audiences compared to authentic news. This study, therefore, investigates the comparative appeal of misinformation by analyzing the news values embedded in viral authentic and fake news stories and their correlation with audience engagement metrics. Grounded in Galtung and Ruge’s theory of news values and the concept of cognitive dissonance, the research employed a mixed-methods approach. A quantitative survey of 150 respondents with qualitative focus group discussions. This research compares the news values that drive engagement with both authentic and fake news stories in Nigeria. The findings reveal that fake news stories consistently exhibited stronger connotations of Negativity, Unexpectedness, and Cultural Proximity (often through ethno-religious narratives) than their authentic counterparts. These values showed a statistically significant positive relationship with higher engagement rates. The study concludes that the architecture of misinformation is strategically crafted to exploit deeply held audience biases and sensibilities. It is recommended that media literacy initiatives move beyond fact-checking to critically deconstruct the emotional and value-based appeal of fake news, and that news organizations re-evaluate gatekeeping practices to responsibly integrate these news values without compromising truth. Key Words: Misinformation, News Values, Audience Engagement, Media Literacy About the Authors * Susan Daomonaa Richard-Nweye, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Her research interests span New Media and Behavioural Change, Advertising and Consumer Behaviour, and Media Influence, **Oyindoubra Gloria Timi-Wood, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Her research interests span Media Retainership, Media Entrepreneurship and Development Communication. JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 18, No. 2, October 2026, pp. 92-103. © Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON). Article Citation Richard-Nweye, S. D. & Timi-Wood, O. G. (2026). The virality of misinformation: A comparative study of audience news values in the engagement with authentic and fake news in Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 18 (2): 92-103. Full Article Words: 7,266 Pages: 12 To access full article, click on download.