MEDIA AWARENESS BY YOUTH TOWARDS VOTE BUYING IN ELECTION USING UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

The researcher examined the topic ‘Media Awareness by Youth Towards Vote Buying In Election Using University Of Benin’. The study was championed on the need to explain the power of the media in creating awareness on the dangers of vote buying and the role of the youth in curbing it. Previous studies have been centred on the general public without a particular study focusing on the youth. The goal was to determine the most used media platform by youths to spread awareness about vote buying in the university community, to ascertain if youths and other members of the university community are better informed about vote buying through the media, to determine the level to which youths have increased the level of increased awareness about vote buying through the media,to explain how the media can be properly utilized by youths to create awareness about vote buying in the university community and to find out if media awareness creation by the youths can help to curb vote buying in the university community. Survey research method was adopted for the study with a sample size of 193 derived using taro Yamane formula and used for the study. 193 questionnaire were designed and distributed for the study. Of the total number, 19 were screened out for inaccurate filling and 174 adopted for use, representing a usefulness rate of .%. The questionnaire were coded and analysed using SPSS. To give theoretical backing, agenda setting theory and media dependency theory were used for the study. Major findings reveal that new media was the primary and most used channel of media awareness creation deployed by the youths in the university community. Awareness level about vote buying also recorded a high response rate due to the influence of social media. Further more, video and content creation were the top most used tactics for vote buying awareness creation and proper utilisation of the media. The researcher concluded that there is a great awareness campaign by youths on vote buying and with proper utilisation of the media, success will be recorded. Based on findings, recommendations were made which includes encouraging students to adopt all social media channels—facebook, Instagram, twitter, snapchat and tiktok to reach a diverse section of the student community with messages discouraging vote buying in the university community and nationwide.