Online News Platform Preference Among Communication and Performing Arts Undergraduate Students from Three Selected Universities in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

The internet is here to stay, and news consumption is a daily activity for men. Information must satisfy the eternal curiosity of the human mind. The readily available information online, its ease of access, and its constant and speedy updates serve to satisfy man's constant search for information. The researchers surveyed 4435 students enrolled in Mass Communication, Fine Art, Theatre and Film Studies at three universities from South East, Nigeria during the 2023–2024 academic session: University of Nigeria Nsukka, Imo State University, and Gregory University in Uturu. The researchers determined a sample size of 383 using the Taro Yamane formula and used proportionate sampling to identify the respondents for each group. The researchers analysed the collected data using mean and standard deviation. The research found that students visit multiple platforms for online news. Entertainment news was the content that most captivated the students. Students prefer Premium Times for its meticulous attention to detail, their social media handles for their convenient accessibility, and Arise TV for its comprehensive analysis. The study suggests that, given the respondents' consistent preference for Premium Times' online news stories, their social media handles' news stories, and Arise TV's news stories across various online media platforms, all media organisations should consider posting their news stories online to cater to the majority of youths who prefer online reading.