Verification Habits of Social Media News Consumers in Accra

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the verification habits of social media news consumers in Accra. The quantitative method was used for this study under which online questionnaires were distributed on various social media platforms. The study found that majority of social media news consumers in Accra, verified the news they obtained from social media platforms, mainly due to lack of trust in the credibility of social media. Most of the respondents further indicated that in verifying, they used their mental capability to judge the authenticity of the news they obtained from social media. The study therefore recommends further study into authentic verification methods which can inform audiences‟ choice of a verification method in order not to undermine the process of verification.