Social Media and Fake News in Nigeria: A Speech Act Analysis of WhatsApp Messages on Coronavirus

The evolution of social media has opened a new vista in digital communication across the world, Nigeria inclusive. Since confirmation index case Coronavirus Nigeria, lot news on subject which are largely considered by World Health Organization to be false, had gone viral space. This study essentially examines some those messages WhatsApp that were circulated Nigeria. Five collected between March – June, 2020 analysed using framework Austin’s Speech Acts with insights from Conversational Maxims Grice’s Cooperative Principles. main objective this analysis is unravel communicative effects language. Findings show writers carefully manipulate linguistic features make such perform illocutionary acts as well trigger perlocutionary moves minds readers. buttresses fact language used achieve both and non aims.