Digital political news access, perception of party candidates and voting behaviour of university students in North-East, Nigeria

The objective of this research is to determine the frequency at which students access political news on digital media and investigate whether this news influences their perception of party candidates and voting behaviour. The study employed a mixed-method approach and focus group discussions to collect data from a sample of 250 undergraduate students selected through simple random technique. Additionally, responses from 15 students at Borno State University, Maiduguri, and Yobe State University, Damaturu, were gathered through focus group discussions. The collected data was analysed based on the Medium Theory of communication. Preliminary findings indicate that a majority (79%) of the students access political news on online digital media on a daily basis. Furthermore, 45.11% of the students believe that the political news they access through digital media shapes their perceptions of party candidates, while 31% believe that digital media news affects their voting behaviour. The study concludes that political news on digital media has limited influence on the voting behaviour of undergraduate students. The paper recommends that authorities prioritise the development of a comprehensive digital media literacy policy and that higher education institutions integrate digital media literacy and digital political communication into their curricula. Key Words: Digital Media, Democracy, Fake News, Media Influence, Perception Of Party Candidate, Voting Behaviour, Undergraduate Students About the Author * Hajara Umar Sanda, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor, Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. She is also a former Deputy Dean of Student Affairs of the University. JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 15, No. 1, Special Issue 3, July 2023, pp. 60-71 © Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON). Article Citation Sanda, H. U. (2023). Digital political news access, perception of party candidates and voting behaviour of university students in North-East, Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 15 (1, SP.3): 60-71. Full Article Words: 8,006 Pages: 12 To access full article, click on download.