Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Perspectives Of Students Studying Communication Toward Media Access And Use: A Q Methodological Study, Angel Riggs, Diane Montgomery, Cindy Blackwell

Faculty Publications

This study sought to help communication educators better understand young news consumers who have grown up among a plethora of media options. To better reach and educate today’s up-and-coming media professionals, those in the industry need a better understanding of modern media students’ perspectives of news. This study used Q methodology and relies on Stephenson’s Play and Dutta-Bergman’s Media Complementarity theories. Students on a large, comprehensive university campus pursuing undergraduate studies via a communications-related major were asked to complete a Q sort and demographic instrument. Thirty-four participants resulted in 33 usable sorts. The following labels were applied to the three …