Abstract 

In today’s digital era, political news plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion, influencing political discourse, and ultimately impacting democratic processes. There appears to be a growing concern on how individuals critically evaluate and understand news they consume. This concern could be exacerbated by polarized and biased political news which may hinder the quest for the development of media literacy skills, leading to misinformation and confirmation bias. The study was necessitated to assess the prevailing sentiment in political news, examine the influence of the sentiment conveyed in political news on individuals’ media literacy skills, investigate the correlations between sentiment of political news and political beliefs, and propose strategies for enhancing media literacy skills in relation to political news. The research took its anchorage from the agenda setting theory and the priming theory. The study adopted the quantitative analysis method, with a purposive sampling techinque. Data was collected on the subject matter using news media articles, book, journals, and public speeches. Primary data was gathered using a survey questionnaire. Findings revealed that ownership and political affiliation of media broadcast stations influence political news, most individuals rely on emotions and sentiments conveyed in political news rather than factual information, there is a direct correlation between the sentiment of political news and individuals political beliefs, and academic institutions should integrate media literacy programs in their curriculum. The research implies that design of surveys and interviews should be conducted by civil society organizations to gauge public perceptions, academic scholars should consider media literacy interventions and experimental studies should be carried out by public relations practitioners.

Key Words: Influence, Media Literacy, News Coverage, Political, Sentiment.

About the Author

* Ayuba John Ramadan is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, Nigeria and a PhD candidate with interest in Public Relations at Bingham University, Karu, Nasarrawa State, Nigeria.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 17, No. 1, April 2025, pp. 181-195.

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Ramadan, A. J. (2025). Media literacy influence on sentiments in political news among academic staff of tertiary institutions in North Central Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 17 (1): 181-195.

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