CONSUMÉRISME MÉDIATIQUE EN CÔTE D’IVOIRE A L’ÈRE DU NUMÉRIQUE : FAKE NEWS ET DEEP FAKE AU MENU
MEDIA CONSUMERISM IN IVORY COAST IN THE DIGITAL AGE: FAKE NEWS AND DEEP FAKES ON THE MENU

Summary/Abstract: This research, which draws on both the theory of uses and gratifications and the theoretical model of the attention economy, aims to understand the production, dissemination, reception and consequences of fake news and deepfakes on the Ivorian population. With the emergence of digital platforms, disinformation has grown in scale in Côte d’Ivoire, particularly in the context of the struggle for and re-conquest of political power. The country is typically prone to the spread of rumours of all kinds (political, sporting, socio-cultural, etc.). However, as presidential, legislative and municipal elections approach, we are observing an intensive production and massive circulation of fake news and deepfakes in the Ivorian cyberspace. Furthermore, election periods are strongly characterised by an information war, involving the positioning and repositioning of certain political actors and parties, as well as the occupation of the digital public sphere; this, moreover, undermines the climate of peace, social cohesion and stability to which this country so aspires. Using a qualitative approach, this study analyses a corpus comprising videos, texts and user comments collected from digital platforms (Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, etc.) and online news sites. The results show that the Ivorian cyberspace is fertile ground for the spread of fake news, particularly in the context of elections characterised by strategies aimed at positioning and repositioning political opponents. This false information is very often produced under fake profiles, most of which belong to political cyberactivists, or attributed to well-established media outlets. This inevitably affects citizens in their consumption of information, as they are unable to distinguish fact from fiction, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence.

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