COLLEGE-STUDENTS NEWS GRATIFICATIONS, MEDIA USE, AND CURRENT EVENTS KNOWLEDGE

This study tests uses and gratifications theory with 1209 college stud ents. The results iind that students' media use and surveillance needs increase with year in college. Consistent with uses and gratification s theory, demographic differences and the gratifications sought drive news media use. More precisely, increasing surveillance needs results in increased use oi all news media, while entertainment needs result i n television news and CNN viewing. Only print media and CNN use, howev er, are related to current events knowledge.