International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: The increasing integration of AI-generated content into contemporary news production has raised global concerns about the authenticity and credibility of information. This emerging trend has contributed to growing audience skepticism and social distrust in journalistic outputs. In Nigeria, the proliferation of AI-generated news content presents a significant challenge to media credibility and public trust. Although existing studies have explored related issues, there remains a paucity of empirical evidence on how Nigerians perceive the authenticity and credibility of news in the context of widespread AI-generated content. Objectives: This study aims to determine the effect of AI-generated content on public trust in news outlets and to identify the strategies employed by media organisations to detect and mitigate its negative impact on audience perceptions of credibility within the Nigerian news landscape.
Method: The study adopted a descriptive research design using a mixed-methods approach. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 400 participants drawn from the South-East region of Nigeria using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. This was complemented by an in-depth analysis of relevant secondary documents. Results: Findings indicate that respondents exhibit a high level of skepticism toward AI-generated content, with mean scores below 3.0 on the Likert scale, suggesting low perceived credibility and authenticity. The study also reveals that media organizations rely primarily on fact-checking partnerships, basic verification tools, and capacity-building initiatives to address the challenges posed by AI-generated news content.
Conclusion: Nigerian news audiences generally perceive AI-generated content as lacking authenticity and credibility. Consequently, they continue to rely on traditional Nigerian media outlets as more trustworthy sources of information.
Unique Contribution: This study provides empirical evidence that, despite the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content, public trust remains more strongly associated with established Nigerian media institutions.
Key Recommendation: Nigerian media organizations should adopt advanced AI-detection systems and enforce rigorous content verification procedures to effectively identify and manage synthetic content.