In The Gambia, fake news is persistent and I growing. It is contaminating public discourse in ways that do not serve society. Although not a new phenomenon, the advances in, and increased access to, communication tools particularly social media has helped amplify the spread of misinformation and disinformation and, in doing so, deepened existing divisions.
This study explores how the phenomenon of fake news is shaping The Gambia in the post-Jammeh era. It draws on desk research, interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation to better understand the fake news ecosystem and how misinformation and disinformation is contributing to political polarisation.
The report notes that with the liberalisation and proliferation of the media landscape and stalled political
transition due to elite fragmentation, misinformation and disinformation has come to characterize Gambia’s post-dictatorship political landscape, and is increasingly contributing to ethnic and political polarisation.
It highlights how misinformation and disinformation are used by social media users, political party operatives and government to shape public opinion in The Gambia that serves their own ends.
It illustrates how all political parties have
established their own online media houses and
other online structures including WhatsApp
forums and Facebook pages – key platforms
through which fake news is spread in The Gambia