University-Uganda
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Date
2022-11
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Publisher
Kampala International University, College of Humanities and social Science
Abstract
research takes a critical look at the effect of user generated contents on news credibility among university students in Uganda. It also tried to establish the factors that have influenced the increasing growth and popularity of user generated contents. User generated contents for the purpose of this research was limited to likes, comments and blogging. Blogging has become a channel through which people share ideas, news, advice and analyses on different happenings in the society. The practice has turned out to be journalistic, with a good number of bloggers running authoritative and influential blogs, where thousands of people flock for information. In Uganda, blogs are now a permanent fixture in the media environment as their popularity grows, with bloggers holding influence on political, economic and social discourses. Their growing influence has made bloggers share audiences with traditional media (newspapers, Radio and Television).
This study tried to identify challenges posed by user generated contents on news credibility and how students respond to new threats. The study also sought to identify the factors that have influenced user generated contents (Blogging) in Uganda and how journalists perceive bloggers.
The study was guided by the following research questions: (i) what challenges is user generated content posed towards news credibility in Uganda? (ii) How students respond to challenges posed by user generated contents in Uganda? (iii) What are factors that influence the perception of news credibility of likes and comments on an item in Uganda? (iv) What is the relationship between embedded UGCs in news items and user’s perception in Uganda?
To achieve these objectives, descriptive survey and cross-sectional designs were carried out.
The research sampled 385 Kampala International University (KIU) students in many departments and colleges namely mass media, social sciences, law and others to put this research in perspective, New Media and Public Sphere Theories were briefly examined.
The findings reveal that there are some threats posed by blogs on news credibility, but most students read blogs because they find information on the sites useful and they are now getting ideas for their course works and academics from the sites. The study concluded that bloggers are not journalists but their work is very important in complementing the work of journalism.
Description
A research dissertation submitted to the department of journalism and media studies, college of humanities and social sciences as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a master of science in mass communication of Kampala International University
Keywords
User-generated content, News credibility, Uganda