ABSTRACT
Reading
newspaper informs readers’ as well as enhance the readers’ literacy skills.
Therefore, the newspaper serves as a tool for learning, especially among
communication students. However, newspaper readership among students in Nigeria
has been an issue of concern. This study investigated newspaper readership
among Mass Communication students in the Taraba State University, Jalingo. The
research design adopted was a descriptive survey, population frame was 630 Mass
Communication Students of Taraba State University, Jalingo registered in
2018/2019 session while the sample size was 242 selected via a stratified
random method. It was discovered that there is low newspaper readership among
the students. The student preferred general interest newspapers particularly
Daily Trust and the Sun Newspapers. The manners in which the students access
newspapers were majorly through borrowing and vendor stand-free-reading. The
study also revealed that politics and sport are the major subjects of interest
which the students often seek from newspaper while the problems militating
against the newspaper readership among the students include lack of money,
prevalence of online newspaper and poor supply of newspaper in the University
library and the Department. Nigerian Universities should provide newspapers in
the University library daily and create a newspaper hub or stand within the
department of mass communication to enable students to access newspapers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
DECLARATION
CERTIFICATION
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
1.2 Statement
of Problem
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
1.4 Research
Questions
1.5 Significance
of the Study
1.6 Scope
of the Study
1.7 Operational Definition of
Terms
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Newspaper: A General Overview
2.1.1 A Brief History of Newspaper Industry in Nigeria
2.1.2 Newspaper Industry in Nigeria
2.1.3 Newspaper and Its Usefulness in Society
2.1.4 Newspaper and Mass Media Evolution
2.2 Newspaper Readership Pattern
2.2.1 Declining Newspaper Readership Pattern
2.2.2 Factors Associated With
Newspaper Readership Pattern
2.2.3 Newspaper Content and Young Readers’ Satisfaction
2.2.4 Civic Interest/Political Self-Efficacy and
Newspaper Readership Pattern
2.2.5 The Internet/Online News and Newspaper Readers
2.3 Review of Empirical Studies
2.4 Theoretical Framework
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research
Design
3.2 Population of
the Study
3.3 Sample
Size
3.4 Sampling
Technique
3.5 Instrument
of Data Collection
3.6 Procedure
for Data Collection
3.7 Techniques
of Data Analysis
3.8 Limitations
of The Study
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Data Presentation
4.2 Data Analysis – According to
Research Questions.
4.3 Discussion of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND
RECOMMENDSATIONS
5.1 Summary
Of The Study
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
Appendix: Questionnaire
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The fast
advance of television a few decades ago and the internet in the last decade has
changed peoples’ media consumption patterns. Different media are in a
continuous time battle with one another. This is also true for the news media,
and the newspaper. Newspapers are known for the provision of up-to-date
information on local state, national and international events. Newspapers often
contain current and interesting information on local state, national and
international events. Newspaper often contains current and interesting
information meant for the reading pleasure of the vast majority of readers of
all ages and walks of life. As an important print medium of mass communication,
provide newspaper the most current analysis debate and criticism of socio-political,
economic, health and a host of their issue as information, education and
entertainment to the readers. The newspaper is, no doubt, one of the most
widely read periodicals available to all on daily basis.
As noted by
Ezeokoli (2002) newspaper readership pattern has been declining over the last
couple of years. It was also reported that the frequency of newspaper
readership pattern among Nigerian student is less than 50%. Biagi (2003) states
that since the 1970s the overall number of newspaper has declined due to
non-readership. Business Essay (2009) has equally reported downward trend, in
the past few decades, in newspaper readership pattern in countries of the world
including Europe and America.
In addition,
according to Akobundu (2009), in his report of the newspaper readership pattern
pattern of university students in Ilorin, there is an astronomical increase in
newspaper circulation worldwide, with 2.3 per cent increase recorded in 2006
and 9.8 percent increase in five years with corresponding increase of 7.89 per
cent in Nigeria within the same period. However, local observations are that
most, Nigerians, especially the university students do not read newspapers. For
instance, a survey conducted by Akobundu (2009) in 12 African countries,
including Nigeria in 2002 indicates that only 13 percent of the sample
population prefer to read newspaper. Another survey by the National Population
Commission in Nigeria reveals that most Nigerians neither buy nor have access
to newspapers, while newspaper readership pattern is generally low in all zones
of the country.
However, it
is based on this phenomenon that this study was conducted. In this study,
emphasis is placed on Nigerian university students, who are believed to make up
almost half of the country’s population and are also thought not to be
information conscious. In view of this, the factors that influence the
newspaper consumption pattern of the university students, especially the
university students in Effurun, Delta State who form the scope of this study
and also represent the generality of university students in Nigeria in terms of
character, present a particular phenomenon that arouses interest, putting in
mind the generally poor newspaper readership pattern across the country.
In this
current work, the factors studied include the educational level of university
students, their financial position, their civic interest and the internet which
enables online newspaper readership pattern. This study however attempts to
find out the extent to which these factors affect newspaper readership pattern.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF PROBLEM
The newspaper has been defined as that periodical that contains
information on events, locally, nationally and otherwise. It also provides current analysis on issue to
be bother on education, health, etc affecting readers of all age and walks of
life.
On the contrary, the university students who are supposed to be the most
active users of newspaper as they constitute the most important information
seekers in the society, have been accused of not reading newspaper regularly.
Certain factors have contributed negatively to this development as well as
information consciousness among university students.
It is in the
light of these issues that this study attempts to examine the newspapers
readership pattern among Delta State University students.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The essence
of this research work is to primarily study the impact of the educational
level, the financial position, of youth, their civic interest or awareness, and
the internet which allows online news as factors that affect newspaper
readership pattern among university students in Nigeria. However, thus study
has to following objectives:
· To find out the extent to which
educational level affects newspaper readership pattern among Delta State
university students.
· To find out the extent to which
financial position affects newspaper readership pattern among Delta State
university students.
· To find out the extent to which civic
interest affects their newspaper readership pattern.
· To find out the extent to which
internet affects newspaper readership pattern among Delta State university
students.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The following
questions are posed for investigation.
· To what extent does educational level
affect newspaper readership pattern among Delta State university students?
· To what extent does financial
position affect newspaper readership pattern among Delta State university
students?
· To what extent does civic interest
affect their newspaper readership pattern?
· To what extent does internet affect
newspaper readership pattern among Delta State university students.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The
significance of this study will help publishers of different newspapers to
develop new strategies to improve newspaper readership pattern in terms of
creating good reading habits among university students. With the results
obtained, they will know what material to refrain or remove from their news
content. This study will also help editors know the various dispositions of university
students, and the findings will help the university students identify the
things which have made them lose interest in buying or reading newspapers.
1.6 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The research
focuses on Newspaper Readership Pattern among Delta State university students
for easy analysis of data as it will be so cumbersome for the researcher to
examine the whole of Nigeria. Therefore the characteristics of university
students will be generalised to include all Nigerian university students.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Factors: Element or causes that contribute to
a result
Newspaper: A daily or weekly publication
containing articles in news, features, reviews, and advertisements.
Readership: All the readers collectively of a
particular publication.
University students: The period between childhood and
maturity, especially adolescence and early adulthood.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
Newspaper: The printed dailies or weeklies e.g.
vanguard, guardian, punch, etc.
Readership: All the readers of newspaper or different
newspaper.
University students: Relating to the age that consumed the
newspaper. For example 16-25, 26 – 30 years.
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