College students’ news gratifications, media use, and current events knowledge

Abstract

This study tests uses and gratifications theory with 1209 college students. The results find that students’ media use and surveillance needs increase with year in college. Consistent with uses and gratifications theory, demographic differences and the gratifications sought drive news media use. More precisely, increasing surveillance needs results in increased use of all news media, while entertainment needs result in television news and CNN viewing. Only print media and CNN use, however, are related to current events knowledge.