Illusions of Control: Media Uses and Preferences Among University Students

Uses and gratifications theory and the situational theory of publics are used to frame an analysis of media uses and preferences of university students. Results of a survey of university students (n=202) reveal that students reported different levels of use and preference for e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and text messaging with campus leadership and their own instructors. Students who considered themselves more active in campus issues preferred newspapers, magazines and UT websites to obtain more information about the university. Professional recommendations on maximizing communication effectiveness between universities and their students include using UT websites, text messages and campus and Knoxville newspapers to share troublesome news announcements, and Facebook and Twitter updates to share good news announcements.