No News At Breakfast — I’ll Take It To Go: College Students’ Habits and the Future of News Use (2010)

Undergraduate: Kevin Kiley

Faculty Advisor: Penny Abernathy
Department: Journalism & Mass Communication

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Study aimed to explore the news consumption habits of college students between the ages of 18 and 24. Of particular interest was how Internet communication has impacted the way these individuals consume news. Interviews were conducted with 23 students at a single university. These interviews focused on how these individuals consumed news and the uses and gratifications behind their media and outlet choices. The study found that respondents were heavily dependent on the Internet for news consumption. It also uncovered a potential new gratification – called filtering – in which individuals rely on others to filter down the amount of available information. Two ways of doing this were discussed: through social networks or through news organizations. Implications of this study include an expansion of the uses and gratifications approach, changes in the way news organizations reach audiences, and an increased focus on social networks for news consumption.