EXPLORING THE REPRESENTATION OF DIVERSITY IN MEDIA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF PRIME TIME TELEVISION SHOW’S

ABSTRACT This study examines the role of campus journalism in shaping students’ perception of university policies at Federal University Lokoja, Nigeria. The research focuses on identifying key factors affecting student awareness, understanding, and attitudes toward institutional policies. The total population was drawn from Federal University Lokoja's student enroliment of 15,689, with a sample size of 375 respondents determined using Slovin's (1960) formula; 370 completed questionnaires were analyzed representing a 98.7% response rate. Using a quantitative descriptive survey design, the study found that campus journalism demonstrates significant effectiveness in policy communication, with 85% of respondents acknowledging its effectiveness and 67% considering it very effective in shaping policy perceptions. While 60% of students showed only slight familiarity with university policies, campus journalism effectively communicates policies and significantly influences institutional decisions perception. Students prefer social media updates (51%) over traditional formats and demonstrate high policy acceptance likelihood (65%) after reading campus publications. Campus journalism maintains high credibility based primarily on information accuracy (38%) and source transparency (30%) rather than institutional independence (21%). The study concludes that campus journalism serves as a crucial intermediary between university administration and students, successfully influencing policy acceptance while requiring strategic adaptation to digital communication preferences and enhanced distribution strategies to reach unengaged students.