| Abstract: |
This study examined how algorithmic amplification and political-economic
incentives shape the construction, visibility, and strategic mobilisation of the
'Christian genocide' narrative in Nigeria's new-media ecosystem. Using qualitative analysis of Facebook posts, video transcripts, media reports, and layered comment
threads, the study explored how clergy, media organisations, advocacy groups,
government institutions, and ordinary users frame and circulate emotionally
charged claims about religious persecution. These actors drew on victimhood
framing, historical analogies, moral appeals, and counter-evidence strategies that
aligned with engagement-driven platform logics. Algorithms amplified content that
evoked strong emotional or identity-based responses that reinforced a visibility
structure tied to attention rather than factual accuracy. Users interpreted this
amplification as validation, strengthening the viral power of sensational narratives.
The findings showed how distrust of state institutions and Nigeria's socio-religious
and partisan divisions interact with algorithmic systems to sustain the narrative.
Clergy and Christian organisations used moral authority to legitimise it, while
political and advocacy actors, including foreign politicians and international
Christian networks, promoted its circulation for ideological or fundraising
purposes. Media outlets extended these frames through selective emphasis, whereas
government efforts to counter the narrative often deepen scepticism. By integrating
Algorithmic Media Theory and the Political Economy of Communication, the study
showed that the endurance of the Christian genocide narrative reflects systemic
interactions between digital infrastructures, emotional engagement, and politicaleconomic interests. The analysis contributes to Global South debates by illustrating
how complex falsehoods circulate within Nigeria's sociotechnical environment and
shape public interpretation of religious violence.
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