Abstract
One of the theories in mass communication studies, namely the media uses and gratifications theory has always attracted the attention of scholars in researches. This article explored the effectiveness of the utilisation of the uses and gratification theory in newspapers by citizens for the political information purposes. The study employed the survey research method to explore two Nigerian newspapers, namely Urhobo Voice, and Urhobo Vanguard; the research questions posed from the theoretical premise of the uses and gratifications theory. The result indicated that the newspapers were not the leading sources of political information for the residents; instead, radio played the leading role as attested to in this study. Secondly, voter education was found as the most helpful factor, as indicated by respondents. The study recommends establishment of daily newspapers as a way to bridge this gap of citizens not attesting to the use of the newspapers as their leading source of political information, and also to ensure that journalists provide adequate coverage on issues of election campaigns and government-related political matters for the enlightenment of citizens.
Highlights
IntroductionIn different parts of the world (in the advanced and developing world), the media - newspapers, radio, television, and the new media - have continued to play these three functions in society
The mass media have been known to carry out the traditional functions of surveillance of the environment, correlation of the responses of the entire society to the environment and transmission of social inheritance from one generation to another (Lasswell 1948; Becker, 1982).In different parts of the world, the media - newspapers, radio, television, and the new media - have continued to play these three functions in society
This article investigated the effectiveness of the uses and gratifications theory for newspaper use by citizens in Delta central senatorial district of Delta state, Nigeria
Summary
In different parts of the world (in the advanced and developing world), the media - newspapers, radio, television, and the new media - have continued to play these three functions in society. It is in recognition of these functions of the mass media in society that scholars have developed all kinds of theories to explain existing and unfolding phenomena in the media. According to Babbie (1989), a theory is a generalized and more or less comprehensive set of statements relating to different aspects of some phenomenon. A theory is a body of knowledge that explains existing phenomenon in society
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