This researcher assessed readers’ motivation for reading of Nigerian online newspapers with a view to ascertaining the level of exposure and motivational factors for reading online newspapers, by surveying readers in Benin City metropolis. The researcher intended to find out the extent to which readers in Benin City are exposed to online newspapers; ascertain their motivation for reading online newspapers and likely problems encountered by readers.

Anchored on the uses and gratifications theory, the study adopted a survey research design which employed quantitative research method. Questionnaire was employed as research instrument and 384 copies of the questionnaire were sampled on respondents using the multi-stage sampling technique. The research findings show that most respondents who participated in this study are exposed to online newspapers because of their accessibility to the internet and they perceive that online newspapers poses a significant threat to the readership of the printed versions. It was also found that slow loading of contents, unavailability of follow-up pages and too many adverts are the prominent problems encountered while trying to access Nigerian Newspaper on the internet. It is, therefore, recommended that telecommunication and internet service providers should improve their data connection network so that there will be easy access and timely loading of web contents of online newspapers. Also, publishers of print newspapers in Nigeria should continue to take advantage of the potentials of internet as a convergence media in order to ensure their survival.

– Unity Osamuyimen Aibangbee & Richard Okujeni (Ph.D)