Abstract
AbstractConcerns have been raised about the relevance of TV news with the fast growing of media technology. Increasing opportunities of choices have been held responsible for diverting viewers away from TV news. However, the Movement Control Order due to Covid-19 pandemic has paved a new life to TV news which was once claimed to be outdated and irrelevant as people started to select online platforms such as online news websites and social media as the main source of information. In view of the limited and insufficient research about TV news viewing where concerns are always placed on newspaper news, a survey was undertaken to determine the TV news viewing behavior in Sarawak during and after Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 306 respondents was collected through the use of snowball sampling from Central, Southern and Northern Sarawak. Despite bearing a paradox, the findings offer a paradigm shift to the previous research, as it indicates that watching TV news is still important to get the latest information. TV news via other devices only intensifies the shift of forms but not the content of the news. The content of the TV news is still the major consideration to stay engaged with the viewers. Result shows not much changes of the patterns of use of TV news during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. This implies the persistent importance and relevance of TV news in the daily life of people living in Sarawak. Producing quality content which suits the needs of the viewers is the only pathway to sustain the TV news.
Publisher
Springer Nature Singapore
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