International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: The rise of online news media has transformed how information is produced, distributed, and consumed, raising concerns about news credibility in the digital age. While previous studies have focused largely on youths, limited attention has been given to grassroots public-sector workers.
Objective: This study therefore examines the perceived credibility of online news media among Lagos State local government workers, with specific attention to their preferred platforms and credibility assessments.
Method: Guided by Source Credibility and Media Credibility theories, the study adopted a quantitative approach of survey. Using multistage sampling, two local government areas were selected from each of the three senatorial districts (Eti- Osa, Lagos Mainland, Kosofe, Ikorodu, Alimosho and Ikeja) making six local government areas while 400 workers were sampled for the survey. Data were collected using the Online News Credibility Questionnaire. Of the 400 copies of questionnaires, 316 were returned and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Findings show that respondents expressed relatively high trust in online radio/podcasts (76.9%), online television (73.4%), and online newspapers (66.5%), but significantly lower trust in social media sources like Facebook (38.2%), WhatsApp (31.6%), and X (23.3%). Key determinants of credibility include institutional reputation (78.5%), affiliation with established traditional media (74.7%), cross-platform corroboration (67.7%), writer credibility (58.5%), and personal experience (56.7%). Major challenges encountered include overwhelming news volume (61.4%), inadequate funds for data subscriptions (59.2%), and the difficulty of filtering misinformation (49.4%).
Conclusion: The study concludes that online news organisations must enhance transparency, maintain editorial integrity, and strengthen brand credibility to sustain audience trust.
Unique Contribution: This study has contributed and expanded the knowledge in the area of credibility of online news media among government workers at the grassroots. It has confirmed that government workers are exposed to fake news and are able to discern the fake news through multiple confirmations.
Key Recommendation: The study recommends that there should be transparency, editorial integrity and a strong brand reputation to maintain high level of credibility among audience.