AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF PAID NEWS AND ITS IMPACT ON JOURNALISM QUALITY; A STUDY OF ASHIWAVES RADIO KATSINA ALA IN BENUE STATE

ABSTRACT This study aims to asses audience perception of paid news and its Impact on Journalism Quality on Ashiwaves Radio Katsina Ala in Benue State. The study is premised on the evolving economic business model affecting the media sector. The study is guide by the following objectives; to assess the extent of paid news within broadcast stations in Benue State; to explore the perceptions of media consumers regarding the credibility and trustworthiness of broadcast news;to identify factors that influence the occurrence of paid news in broadcast stations. Survey research methodology was adopted and a sample size of 384 was derived using the Survey Monkey online sample size calculator for the quantitative sampling. The study found that paid news common practice in the broadcast stations is a known concept amongst the audience that understand it as news stories paid with goal of making the news bias towards the sponsors‘ interests. And that it impact on the quality of news stories by way of distorting the truth, compromises the independence of the journalist and lowers the overall quality of the news of broadcast stations. And also that the rising cost of operating cost is majorly responsible for the rise in paid news in the radio stations as well as profit making. The study the recommended that Journalist in Benue state will need ethical training on balancing standard journalism process and organizational business interest while media house training on new and sustainable business models.