Xenophobic violence in South Africa, online disinformation and offline consequences

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dc.date.accessioned 2023-01-04T19:01:07Z
dc.date.available 2023-01-04T19:01:07Z
dc.date.issued 2023-01-04 en
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/19661
dc.description.abstract Despite the paucity of evidence determining the aptitude of malicious online content to influence people to resort to violence, social media is fast becoming one of the catalysts of contemporary xenophobic narratives. Malicious contents in the form of fake news and hate speech are increasingly contributing to enflame online and offline tensions and violence. Focusing on September 2019 anti-foreigner violence in South Africa, this paper aims to assess the way misleading online content migrates into real-word attitudes and actions such as anti-migrant violence, reprisals, and counterviolence actions. Based data collected online and group discussions with young Africans in two African countries after the September 2019 outbreak of violence, our findings indicate a consistent positive association between exposition of young Africans across the continent to online content on violence in South Africa and their resentment against South Africans. Nevertheless, our findings could not establish a strong positive correlation between exposition to fake news and outbreak of violence. It is then not sure if messages shared on social media resort to violent offline actions. Taking the example of South Africa, our discussion assessed the propagation of deceitful content via social media, as a strategy for actors (community and political leaders) to advance ideas and social positions in the struggle for livelihood, identity, and sovereignty. The paper concludes that investing in digital media literacy could contribute to reduce the belief in online disinformation and the migration of emotions they create, into offline attitudinal and behavioural actions. en
dc.format.medium Print en
dc.subject XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS en
dc.subject MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION en
dc.subject XENOPHOBIC VIOLENCE en
dc.title Xenophobic violence in South Africa, online disinformation and offline consequences en
dc.type Journal Article en
dc.description.version Y en
dc.ProjectNumber N/A en
dc.Volume December en
dc.BudgetYear 2022/23 en
dc.ResearchGroup Developmental, Capable and Ethical State en
dc.SourceTitle African Identities en
dc.ArchiveNumber 9812571 en
dc.URL http://ktree.hsrc.ac.za/doc_read_all.php?docid=26144 en
dc.PageNumber Online en
dc.outputnumber 14075 en
dc.bibliographictitle Fokou, G., Yamo, A., Kone, S., d' Arc Koffi, A.J. & Davids, Y.D. (2022) Xenophobic violence in South Africa, online disinformation and offline consequences. African Identities. December:Online. en
dc.publicationyear 2022 en
dc.contributor.author1 Fokou, G. en
dc.contributor.author2 Yamo, A. en
dc.contributor.author3 Kone, S. en
dc.contributor.author4 d' Arc Koffi, A.J. en
dc.contributor.author5 Davids, Y.D. en


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