EVALUATING THE USE OF NEW MEDIA TO ACCESS NATIONAL NEWS BY STUDENTS OF HIGHER INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA (A STUDY OF LENSPOLY STUDENTS)

ABSTRACT This study examined the evaluation of the use of new media to access national news by students (a study of students of Lens Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State). The study was guided by four distinct objectives specifically to determine users’ level of dependence on new media for national news, to ascertain the level to which new media users perceive new media national news as trustworthy, to examine the level to which new media users perceive professionalism in new media national news content and to evaluate the extent to which new media users verify new media national news. Survey research method was adopted and questionnaire was used to gather data from 382 respondents among the population of the study. The findings revealed that most of the respondents reported using new media regularly to access national news. And majority of the users check national news updates multiple times daily, and over half identified new media as their most frequently used source for such information, and the respondents reported verifying news from new media before accepting it as true. Hence, the study concluded that new media plays a central role in how many users access national news. It was, however, recommended that news content creators should prioritize accuracy and clarity in reporting to build and maintain users’ trust, as many respondents are cautious due to past exposure to false information, and new media users should be encouraged to consistently cross-check news from multiple credible sources before accepting it as true or sharing it with others