Fake News and Rumors on Social Media in Cameroon's 2018 Presidential Election: Analyzing Political Communication in the Post-Truth Era

Abstract

The rise of social media networks and their increasingly significant role in democratic life, epitomized by uprisings like the Arab Spring (Wolfsfeld et al., 2013), have revived hopes for democratization from below and the lively participation of the general population to produce dynamic system change. However, while social media allows for increased political awareness, it often inadvertently supports disseminating fake news and rumors that interfere with political reality. This article examines the most popular fake news stories, and rumors circulated during the 2018 presidential election in Cameroon through social media analytics. This research showcases the importance of homophily and echoes chambers in disseminating information on different political digital networks in Cameroon, revealing how fake news spread quickly during the campaign. Nevertheless, this research also shows that while specific fake news stories and rumors were not deemed plausible by the general public, they nevertheless shaped public perceptions and succeeded in maintaining the ruling party's political dominance, underscoring the profound impact of misinformation on public opinion and political control.