NEWS SOURCE PREFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG STUDENTS OF MASS COMMUNICATION IN LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

NEWS SOURCE PREFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG STUDENTS OF MASS COMMUNICATION IN LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Background to the study

According to history, before radio, television, and newspapers, information diffusion was limited and slow. Regardless, this is due to the socioeconomic structure of the society. Patronage remained economically driven and motivated even after the introduction of traditional media. This means that owning a television set, a radio set, and a newspaper is heavily concentrated in the hands of a financially capable audience (Dewing, 2017). The occurrence had a huge impact on the mass media audience. Traditional media access became more affordable as technology advanced. For example, radio became the most widely used communication device due to the numerous media via which its signals can be received. Radio decoders are now embedded in mobile phones, autos, tricycles, and other vehicles. This demonstrates how widely available and inexpensive radio decoders have become. On the other hand, television watching centers and cinemas played significant roles in making television material more accessible. Newspapers are not immune in this regard, given the popular urban tradition of "Free Readers," who assemble at newsstands to read newspapers and then hold public debates.

The diagram above depicts how conventional media patronage evolved and the elements that drove its evolution. Surprisingly, some of the old factors continue to play important roles in its constant evolution/patronage, which is why we have new media today. Many pessimistic analysts predicted that the media climate's paradigm shift would be detrimental to traditional media. Some say that the demise of traditional media is on the horizon. Surprisingly, traditional media is becoming stronger by the day while also suffering the harm and injuries caused by the emergence of new media, according to (Stern, 2019). Their sustenance is inextricably linked to the backdrop of authenticity and dependability than the new media (Kuyucu, 2015). Despite the simplicity, portability, interactivity, and low cost of new media, conventional media has been able to preserve its basic role as the most dependable source of information to the public, and hence the level of patronage and reliance has been steadily increasing (Stern, 2019).

On the other hand, new media is a concept that specifies modern channels via which information may be accessible, communication is simplified, and interaction is increased. Each component of the concept of new media has its own component. These include the internet, computers, smartphones, social media, and social networking sites, among other things. The Internet is a web-based service that allows for all virtual connectivity. Mobile phones, computers, and other devices are hardware connected for the purpose of sharing resources online, whereas social media platforms allow information to be shared, interactions to be enabled, and meeting new people to be guaranteed.

According to Dewing (2017), "social media is a broad spectrum of internet-based and mobile services that allow users to participate in online exchanges, contribute user-created content, or join online communities." Social media is also the use of web-based and mobile technologies to transform communication into interactive dialogue, and it can take many different forms, such as internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, wikis, podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating, and social bookmarking, according to the European Commission (2018). These definitions highlighted several characteristics that propel social media to the forefront of public attention. These characteristics include internet, mobility, portability, and participation. On this precipice, numerous opinions and visible events continue to make one wonder if traditional or social media will get more patronage. The motivations or incentives that draw audiences to either of the two are likewise dubious. This sparked an interest in learning more, which led to the creation of this study (Acheaw and Larson, 2015).

However, there are prerequisites for using social media, and literacy is essential. This is one of the reasons why the study was addressed to an academic institution with a high level of literacy. It is also a setting where students and faculty have a long history of media consumption. The following questions serve as crucial backdrop for the study for proper direction and precision: who uses social media and why? Who uses traditional media and why? Why do you choose traditional or social media? What is the level of their dependability on social media and conventional media? These questions were derived from studies conducted by Acheaw and Larson (2015) on the use of social media, its rise among students, and its impact on academic achievement.

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