Pattern of the News Media Consumption and News Discussion Among Youth: a Test of Agenda Setting Theory

PATTERN OF THE NEWS MEDIA CONSUMPTION AND NEWS DISCUSSION AMONG YOUTH: A TEST OF AGENDA SETTING THEORY

SAODAH WOK ([e-mail]; 016-6524383);

EZHAR TAMAM ([e-mail]; 0192271481);

SUCI ELSA MARIA ([e-mail]; 0149306803)

Paper Prepared for:

International Communication and Media Conference (ICOME’10)

Communication and Society: Challenges and Engagement

18-20 June 2010

Organized by:

Faculty of Communication and Modern Languages

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)

PATTERN OF THE NEWS MEDIA CONSUMPTION AND NEWS DISCUSSION AMONG YOUTH: A TEST OF AGENDA SETTING THEORY

Saodah Wok1, Ezhar Tamam2, Suci Elsa Maria3

Abstract

There have been many studies in the media consumption habits among youth. Previous studies reported that youth preferred news on online media compared to other news media. This study tries to explore the pattern of news media consumption and interpersonal news discussions. The specific objectives of the study are (1) to determine the level of perceived news media credibility, (2) to find out the level of news media consumption, (3) to find out the extent of interpersonal news discussions, (4) to analyze the relationship between perceived media credibility and news media consumption with interpersonal news discussions, and (5) to differentiate between selected demographic characteristic with news media consumption and interpersonal news discussions. The study made use of survey research design method. The data were collected using a set of self-administered questionnaire. A sample of 1363 was randomly selected using stratified random sample. Malaysian youth aged 15-25 years old were gathered for the study. The data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 16.0. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used for the study.

Keyword: news media consumption, news discussion, media credibility, agenda setting theory, youth.

[?]Saodah Wok, Associate Professor at Department of Communication,

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