| Abstract: |
News has been an indispensable component of human life, although
the ways people access it have changed over time. Today, news is
distributed through traditional mass media, including newspapers,
magazines, radio, and television, as well as digital platforms such as
news websites and social media. This shift is relevant to students at
the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Ilorin Study
Centre (ILSC), whose learning environment incorporates digital
technologies. Although previous studies have examined students'
media use and preferences, less attention has been paid to their
preference for traditional or new media, especially for news
consumption. This study examined media preference for news
consumption among NOUN, ILSC students and investigated the
relationship between age and preferred media. Guided by Uses and
Gratifications Theory and Technological Determinism, the study
adopted a quantitative survey design and obtained 270 valid
responses through non-probability sampling. Respondents could
use both media forms: 207 (76.7%) reported using traditional media
for news, while 266 (98.5%) reported using new media. In terms of
preference, however, 230 (85.2%) preferred new media and 40
(14.8%) preferred traditional media. New media was preferred
across all age groups, and a chi-square test indicated a statistically
significant association between age and preferred media, ?²(3, N =
270) = 9.26, p = .026. The study concludes that new media was the
more preferred form of news media among the respondents,
although traditional media remained in use. |
