Using social media for news

Students are said to be less likely to consume news, especially via traditional media. In a time where news organizations are facing difficulties reaching younger audiences, it is thus important to realize college students’ motivations for consuming and sharing news on online platforms they enjoy using. This study might provide Dutch news organizations valuable information on college students and their news consumption and sharing practices on social media. The research question that is posed is: What are Dutch college students’ motivations for consuming and sharing news on social media? To investigate this, a qualitative research approach is taken on. Specifically, in-depth interviews are conducted to achieve this goal. The sampling method used to recruit participants is purposive sampling; with help of NU.nl, the largest news web site and mobile application in the Netherlands, the students were recruited. After the transcription of the interviews, thematic analysis was used as a toolbox for the data analysis process. The three main themes, or selective codes, found in the interviews are ‘accessibility’, ‘societal needs’ and ‘low control’. The motivations for the consumption of news on social media are: the speed of news delivery, staying updated, the ease of news consumption, consume news with similar perspectives as they personally have and consume news that is relevant to their lives. The motivations for sharing news on social media are: give their opinion, want to know others’ opinions, start a discussion, keep their friends or followers updated on current events and news and enhance their status.