NEWS INTEREST OF STUDENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: THE CASE OF THE DELTA STATE POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS

Abstract

Environmental news is not so prevalent with students in higher institutions. This is because they are preoccupied with social issues in the social media and their studies. The study examines interest on environmental news among students in the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara in Delta State, Nigeria. The main objective is to determine students‘ interest in environmental news. The study was anchored on attention restoration theory which explains the extent of that exposure to environmental issues enhance concerns for the environment. A total of 209 sample size was drawn from 214 respondents. Questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. The data collected and analysed inpercentage and mean showed that students‘ of the Delta state polytechnic were listened to environmental issues as a result of immediate environmental problems like floods, oil spills, gully erosion and solid waste management. However, the level of interest is based on the level of the frequency of environmental news from different sources of mass communication. The study among other things recommends consistent environmental news in the media. Also, young should have interest in environmental news for this will enhance interest in participatory environmental management.