INFLUENCE OF NEWS MEDIA ON PUBLIC OPINION AMONG RESIDENTS OF LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Lucky E. George, PhD, Jopseph Wogu, Ozioma Patience Nwokedi, PhD

Abstract


The news media play a critical role in shaping citizens’ perceptions of social, political, and economic issues in democratic societies. This study investigates the influence of news media on public opinion in Lagos State, Nigeria. Anchored on Agenda-Setting Theory and Framing Theory, the study adopted a descriptive survey research design to examine how media exposure and perceived media credibility influence public opinion formation. A sample of 400 adult residents of Lagos State was selected using multistage sampling techniques. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analysed using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistical tools, including Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Findings indicate a significant positive relationship between exposure to news media and the formation of public opinion among residents of Lagos State. The results further reveal that perceived media credibility significantly predicts the strength of public opinion, suggesting that audiences are more likely to accept and internalize information from media sources they consider trustworthy. The study concludes that news media remain influential in shaping citizens’ perceptions of governance, public policy, and social issues within Lagos State’s dynamic media environment. It recommends the promotion of media literacy initiatives and the strengthening of professional journalistic standards in order to sustain public trust and enhance informed civic engagement.


Keywords


News Media, Public Opinion, Agenda-Setting, Framing, Media Credibility, Lagos State

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