Combating Fake News (FN) in the Society: The Roles of Librarians

Abstract

It is no longer a new phenomenon that Fake News (FN) has assumed a worrisome dimension in recent times. The emergence of Internet and the proliferation of social media have worsened the situation as information users now receive and communicate information without any restriction making total eradication of FN absolutely impossible. Librarians cannot stop the spread of FN. However, there are roles that librarians can play to help reduce or control the spread of FN. This paper therefore reviewed literature relating to FN and the roles of librarians in combating FN. Effort was made to understand the concept of FN, properties of FN, global and Nigerian scenarios, effects of FN on societal development and roles of librarians in combating FN. Consequently, the paper recommends the adoption of the 3Ds, librarians should intensify their information verification and fact checking roles as this will ensure the genuineness of information materials before they are circulated by librarians to the users among others.