IMPACT OF ONLINE NEWS ON THE READERSHIP OF HARD COPY NEWSPAPERS (A study of University of Lagos Students)

Abstract

The research examines the impact of online news on the readership of hardcopy newspapers among University of Lagos students. Reading from online news websites, blogs, social media are on the increase among students as technology is becoming more advanced to the extent that students can access newspaper online using their Smartphone, GPRS enable 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 until another day to read from newspaper. The survey method was adopted coupled with 200 copies of questionnaires that were administered within the university 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 analyse data. From the findings, it was clear that soon there will be a less hard copy of newspapers in circulation as more readers now prefer online newspapers. It was evidence that larger percentage of the respondents visit online for news regularly especially students who cannot do without surfing the net. It was recommended that media outfits should be diversified in their production by convergent to the new media which is invoke now in order to remain in the race.