ELOOGHENE OMAMOMO ODOKO

This study was carried out to assess the influence of opinion leaders on information adoption amongst students on University of Benin. Two main objective of the study were to examine the role of opinion leaders in influencing the adoption of information and also identify the factors that contribute to the credibility and trustworthiness of opinion leaders. The study was anchored on the two step flow theory and source credibility theory adopting the survey research method. A sample size of 390 was obtained using the two taro yamane’s sample technique. Findings from the study showed that honesty, transparency and the provision of credible sources significantly boast the trustworthiness of opinion leaders while mainstream media continues to hold authority in decision making. It was therefore concluded that both traditional and digital opinion leaders are relevant in today’s media environment but audiences demand ethical standards such as accountability and transparency. It is also recommended that opinion leaders should be guided by clear ethical standards, disclosed affiliation and sponsorship, adopt fact checking practices and that the public should be educated on how to critically assess the credibility of opinion leaders.