UNRAVELLING DEMOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES AND READERSHIP FACTORS ON NEWSPAPER CONSUMPTION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

As the internet continues to expand and transforms Nigeria, users are increasingly exploring its diverse aspects and discovering novel means of obtaining information. It remains uncertain whether newspaper companies have effectively met the information needs of the populace based on their demographic characteristics by disseminating content through both traditional print and online platforms. This study determined the demographic influences and readership factors that affect newspaper consumption in Lagos State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 1,113 newspaper readers from four Local Government Areas of Lagos State. Data were collected from newspaper readers through the distribution of physical questionnaires. Frequency counts, percentages, mean, Chi-square, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to analyse the data. Results revealed that 65.1% of the respondents were male, 50.3% were graduates, and 23.9% were self-employed, with a mean age of 34 years ± 10.15. Chi-square revealed a significant relationship (p<0.05) between respondents’ occupation (χ²=9.94, df=4) and newspaper readership pattern. PCA revealed that the continuous update of news for the newspaper edition (0.61) was the key factor affecting readership of newspapers. The study concluded that it is important to consider demographic characteristics and the timely delivery of news updates in understanding and predicting newspaper readership behaviours. This study recommended that publishers and advertisers should understand readers’ demographics to tailor newspaper contents to achieve maximum subscriptions with minimal cost.