The Sourced Credibility of Internet Based News Stories

SOURCED CREDIBILITY OF INTERNET BASED NEWS STORIES ORANGE FM, AKURE

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the Sourced Credibility of Internet Based News Stories on Orange FM, Akure. These sources include mainstream (vanguardnewspaper.com, BBC.com, Punchnewspaper.com, NAN.com etc), independent (thedrudgereport.com, axisoflogic.com), and index-type (news.google.com, yahoo.news.com) websites. 210 news bulletins were studied. Content Analysis and Survey Research Methods were utilized in order to know how prominent the source is to the station and how frequent the internet stories are been used. Also interviews with selected journalists (from Orange 94.5 FM, Akure) were conducted in order to deduce how the internet-based stories affect their works. Coding sheet and a 7-item interview guide were utilized as measuring instruments. Findings show that, internet-based news differs based on credibility, users’ perceptions and technological affordances of the media. The researcher concluded that, in Orange 94.5 FM Akure, news stories are not just extracted on any sites, rather; there are some traditional news organization that had been tested and trusted which stories are extracted from. Therefore, the researcher recommended that, the dependency level of Orange FM journalists for internet sourced news stories should be balanced with more live reportage to avoid losing audience; as many of them have access to the internet through their phones and might have read such stories online. Also, Orange FM should properly liaise with the reputable news organizations which they extract news items from, in other to verify news stories before they are been used in their news bulletins.

TABLE OF CONTENTTitle PageAffirmation iiDedication iiiAcknowledgment ivTable of Contents vList of Tables viList of FiguresviiAbstractviiiCHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION1.1Introduction 11.2Background to the Study 31.2.1History of Orange 94.5 FM 4-51.3Statement of the Problem 51.4Research Questions 51.5Objectives of the Study 5-61.6Significance of the Study 71.7Scope of the Study 71.8Limitations to the Study 71.9Operational Definition of Terms 7-8CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW2.1Preamble 92.2Conceptual Review 92.2.1Internet92.2.1.1Elements of Internet         10-122.2.1.2Usage of the Internet         12-132.2.1.3Misinformation on the Internet         13-142.2.1.4Importance of the Internet as a News Source142.2.1.5Challenges of Internet         14-152.2.1.6Internet Credibility          15-162.2.1.7The Internet as Global News Medium172.2.1.8Use of the Internet for News Retrieval         17-182.2.2News         18-192.2.2.1News Elements         19-202.2.2.2News Sources         20-212.2.2.3Credibility         21-222.2.2.4Credibility of online news stories         22-232.2.2.5Source Content232.2.2.6Source Credibility         23-252.3 Empirical Review         25-272.4Theoretical Framework          27-30CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY3.1Method 313.2 Research Design          31-323.2.1 Study Population 323.2.2 Sample Size & Sampling Techniques          32-333.2.3Instruments of Data Collection 353.2.4Method of Data Collection 353.2.5Method of Data Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation 363.2.6Units of Analysis363.2.7Categories of Analysis         36-37CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION4.1Overview of Methodology 384.2Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation 384.2.1Presentation of Content Analysis Data 384.2.2Research Question One394.2.3Research Question Two404.3 Presentation of Qualitative Data         42-454.3.1Research Question Three464.3.2Research Question Four         46-47CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS5.1Summary 485.2Conclusion 495.3Recommendations 505.4Suggestions for Further Study 50References          51-52Appendices
LIST OF TABLESTable 1: Table for Determining Sample Size from a Given Population                         34Table 2: Showing the Distribution of Orange FM News Bulletins Selected for Analysis      35Table 3: Showing the frequency of coverage according to news source                         39Table 4: Showing the frequency of coverage according to prominence of time allocation    40
LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1:   A bar chart showing the frequency of coverage according to news source           39Figure 2:  A bar chart showing the frequency of coverage according to prominence of time 41