ASSESSING MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS’ MEDIA BEHAVIOUR: A STUDY OF ABUBAKAR TATARI ALI POLYTECHNIC BAUCHI

ABSTRACT This study, titled “Assessing Mass Communication Students’ Media Behaviour: A Study of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi,” examines students’ media consumption patterns, the impact of digital and traditional media on academic performance and professional growth, challenges associated with media use, and strategies for promoting responsible engagement. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, targeting 464 Mass Communication students from both ND and HND levels during the 2024/2025 academic session. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) sampling framework, 210 participants were selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, validated by experts, and analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step approach. Findings revealed that students exhibit predominantly digital-oriented media habits, favouring WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram for both learning and leisure. While media use enhances knowledge and career readiness, excessive engagement often leads to distraction, reduced study time, and dependency, with 73.56% of respondents admitting to social media addiction. Key challenges include high data costs, unstable internet, misinformation, and difficulty managing time. The study concludes that although media enhances learning opportunities, unregulated use undermines academic productivity. It recommends introducing digital literacy and media ethics courses, enforcing responsible media use policies, and improving internet accessibility to foster balanced and productive media engagement among students.