POLA KONSUMSI BERITA MELALUI MEDIA SOSIAL PADA KALANGAN GENERASI Z (Survey Penggunaan Instagram Sebagai Sumber Informasi Mahasiswa Ilmu Komunikasi 2021 Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang)

Ayu Mutia Safitri. Student ID: 202110040311295. News Consumption Patterns Through Social Media Among Generation Z (A Survey of Instagram Usage as an Information Source for Communication Studies Students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Class of 2021). Thesis.

The development of information technology has brought significant changes in the way people access and consume news, particularly through social media. This study aims to identify the news consumption patterns via Instagram among Communication Studies students of Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Class of 2021. Generation Z, who grew up in the digital era, tends to access information through social media platforms that offer visual and interactive content, in contrast to previous generations who were more dependent on conventional media. This research utilizes the Uses and Gratification theory proposed by Herbert Blumer and Elihu Katz in 1974. The theory states that media users play an active role in selecting the media that best fulfills their informational needs.

This study employs a descriptive quantitative approach with a survey method using a questionnaire. The findings indicate that Communication Studies students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang tend to access news through Instagram feeds, with content in video format. The most common user interaction is in the form of likes, while news verification is generally done by seeking additional information via Google. Entertainment and lifestyle categories show higher levels of engagement compared to other categories such as social and political issues, sports and health, and the environment, which are accessed with lower frequency and for shorter durations. These findings illustrate how Generation Z consumes news in a faster, more practical, and visually-driven manner, consistent with the characteristics of the social media platforms they use.