Social Media As A Platform For Political Information: A Survey Of University Of Ghana Students

Abstract

This study examined how social media is being used as a platform for political information. The study was guided by three main objectives: (i) to find out the extent to which University of Ghana students use social media as a platform for accessing political information, (ii) to investigate the preferred communication channels used in accessing political information, (iii) to understand whether University of Ghana students view social media as a credible and reliable platform for political communication. A survey design was used as the method for carrying out the research. This involved administering questionnaires, as tools for data collection. The study found that social media is used several times daily by University of Ghana students for different purposes. Of particular interest of the use of social media is social interaction with family and friends. Entertainment news is perhaps the second reason why University of Ghana students subscribe to social networking sites. The study also found that social media is the most preferred communication channel for accessing political information. In addition, the study found that respondents do not have trust in the political information they read on social media, even though majority believe it plays an important role in the provision of such information.