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Articles

Vol. 1 No. 1: June, 2013

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND USE OF THE INTERNET AS A NEWS CHANNEL Levi OBIJIOFOR, Ph.D.

Submitted
February 22, 2016
Published
2013-06-22

Abstract

New technologies, in particular the Internet, have transformed journalistic practices in many ways around the world. While a number of studies have investigated how established journalists are dealing with and using new technologies in a number of countries, very little attention has been paid to how student journalists view and use the Internet as a source of news. This study examined the ways in which second and third-year journalism and arts students at the University of Queensland (Australia) get their news, how they use the Internet as a news channel, as well as their perceptions and use of other new technologies. The authors draw on the theoretical frameworks of uses and gratifications, as well as the media richness theory to explore the primary reasons why students use and perceive the Internet as a news channel.
KEYWORDS: Internet, New technologies, News, News source, University students, Australia

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