Readers’ Motivations towards Online Newspaper Reading in Northwestern Nigeria

There is speculation that the exposure of the contents of online newspapers satisfies readers' need for information and slows down the drive for the print versions. This study aims to examine readers' motivations towards reading online newspapers. Many studies conducted revealed that online newspapers give certain values to the readers which their print counterpart do not, but there is still a gap in determining what really motivates the readers to read the online versions. The study employed descriptive survey method in which questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of 330 newspaper readers. The findings demonstrated a high (Mean=3.77) overall motivation level of the readers towards reading online version of newspapers. A further analysis of the findings revealed that readers (mean=3.81) are motivated to read online version of newspapers because they have access to the internet. Also readers (mean=3.62) are motivated to read online version of newspapers because of its interactive nature. Meanwhile, readers (Mean=3.93) are motivated to read online version of newspapers because of its ability to provide timely updates. The study concludes that online newspapers are gaining popularity in the newspaper industry. Therefore, newspaper publishers should strategize ways to fully embrace their technological fate and enhance quality print run