AN ASSESSMENT OF READERS’ PERCEPTION OF MASS MEDIA OWNERSHIP ON THE CREDIBILITY OF NEWS REPORTING: A STUDY OF STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF DELTA

The credibility of news reporting remains a critical concern in contemporary journalism, particularly regarding how media ownership structures influence public trust and perceived reliability of news content. This study examined university students' perceptions of mass media ownership influence on news credibility in Nigeria's evolving media landscape. The study aimed to determine the influence of mass media ownership on news credibility, assess the relationship between ownership structures and journalistic independence, evaluate audience perceptions across different ownership modes, identify credibility challenges, and recommend enhancement strategies. A descriptive survey design was employed with 20 undergraduate students from the University of Delta, Agbor, selected through multi-stage sampling across five faculties. Data were collected using a structured 24-item questionnaire organized into five sections addressing ownership awareness, journalistic independence, credibility perceptions, challenges, and improvement strategies. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26.0, employing descriptive statistics and mean score analysis. The findings revealed that 70% of respondents were aware of different ownership structures, though only 10% consistently checked ownership before consuming news content. Students perceived private media as more objective than government-owned outlets (Mean = 3.9 vs 2.9) while recognizing that ownership directly influences content presentation (Mean = 4.3). Political interference emerged as the primary credibility challenge (Mean = 4.5), followed by social media misinformation (Mean = 4.3). Professional training and ethics codes were identified as the most effective credibility enhancement strategy (Mean = 4.5). Media ownership significantly influences news credibility perceptions among university students. While private ownership is perceived as providing greater editorial freedom than government ownership, commercial pressures create alternative constraints on journalistic independence. The study recommends implementing comprehensive transparency policies, strengthening regulatory oversight, and integrating media literacy education to enhance news credibility across all ownership structures.