The New News Media: Democratic implications of undergraduate education and news consumption over social and traditional media

Communication students at Simon Fraser University were surveyed and interviewed to deduce perceptions and behaviour of news consumption over social and traditional media. Both social media and traditional media are used to consume news with traditional media acting as the primary news source and as more accessible and reliable than social media. News stories considered important or having various perspectives were verified the most, especially world news. Extent of accessibility of sources and education determine the variety of sources used. Awareness of privacy issues in social media is high, but respondents do not alter their news consumption behaviour accordingly. High perceptual connection between being informed of news and being a well-rounded citizen corresponds highly with its impact on respondents’ news consumption.