Podcast Consumption and Political Awareness Among UNN Undergraduate Students

Podcasts have emerged as an increasingly significant medium for political information consumption among young adults in Nigeria, offering long-form, accessible, and often conversational content on governance, elections, and civic issues. This study examined podcast consumption patterns among undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and their relationship with political awareness and civic engagement. The study was grounded in the Uses and Gratifications Theory, which posits that audiences make purposive media choices based on perceived needs for information, entertainment, personal identity, and social interaction. A survey research design was employed, targeting a population of 14,000 undergraduate students at UNN across all colleges. A sample of 374 respondents was drawn using the Taro Yamane formula, and a structured questionnaire was administered to assess podcast listening habits, political content preferences, and political awareness scores. Findings indicated that 47 percent of respondents regularly consumed podcasts, with political and current affairs content representing the second most popular genre after entertainment. Regular podcast consumers scored significantly higher on political awareness assessments covering electoral processes, constitutional rights, and current governance issues. The Nigerian podcasting space was perceived as diverse but inconsistently factual, with listener verification practices largely informal. The study concluded that podcast consumption is a meaningful but underutilised pathway for political awareness development among UNN students. It was recommended that media organisations, civil society groups, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) invest in high-quality civic education podcasts targeted at undergraduate audiences.
Keywords: podcast, political awareness, UNN students, uses and gratifications, civic engagement