Abstract

This study examined how demographic development variables such as sex, educational qualification, income and gender influence newspaper readership among residents of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research method with questionnaires as instrument to elicit responses from the sampled respondents.  The study tested three hypotheses. Data gathered were analyzed using the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS). Some of the findings of this study include that men read newspapers more than women and that most people prefer reading newspapers with good content and balanced reporting.  The hypotheses that readership is dependent on income of readers, educational level attained and sex of the reader were upheld.  Based on these findings, the study recommended among other things that in order for newspapers to increase their readership, they should improve on their content and strive to achieve objectivity.

Key Words: Newspaper, Readership, Income, Educational Qualification, Ogwashi-Uku.

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Brickins Ogbiten Ogbemi is of the Department of Mass Communication, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria

Dr. Olusegun Ojomo, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 8, No. 1, Sp. 1, May 2016, 117 – 128