Influence of online news on the traditional newspaper patronage

Thesis Abstract

The core objective of this research was to examine the influence of online news on the traditional newspaper patronage among University of Ibadan Community which includes students and staffs. Reading from online news websites, blogs, social media including youtube are on the increase among students as information and communication technology advances to the extent that students and lecturers can access news online using their computer, Smartphone and other internet enabling phone therefore, led to the sales of few copies of newspaper due to the fact that people read news as it breaks not necessarily waiting till another day to read from newspaper stands. Survey research method was adopted coupled with 200 copies of questionnaires that were administered within the University of Ibadan community with 100 university staffs and another 100 students were drawn as sample size using non-probability method (purposive technique.) Frequency and percentage method of data analysis was used to analyze data. From the findings, it was clear that there will continuous be less hardcopy of newspapers in circulation as many students’ even lecturers prefer online news. It was evidence that larger percentage of the respondents visit online for news regularly especially students who cannot do without surfing net. It was recommended that media outfits should be diversify in their production by means of convergent i.e integrating the new media with traditional mass media.