Social credibility online: The role of online comments in assessing news article credibility

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivanka Pjesivac ◽  
Nicholas Geidner ◽  
Jaclyn Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Article ◽  
News Story ◽  
Online Journalism ◽  
Source Expertise ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
News Credibility ◽  
Twitter Users

This 2 × 2 experimental study (N = 196) tested the effects of source expertise and opinion valence in readers’ comments on the credibility of an online news story about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Source expertise had a significant influence on perceptions of article credibility; articles were judged more credible when public comments embedded in the story were from expert sources (e.g., scientists) rather than nonexpert sources (e.g., Twitter users). Effects were larger on high-frequency news users, regardless of whether comments were for or against GMOs. Results suggest that Internet users mainly use the peripheral or heuristic route of information processing to evaluate online news credibility. The importance for online journalism of social heuristics via opinions of other people is discussed.

Effects of Uniqueness, News Valence, and Liking on Personalization of Company News

2020 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 890-912
Author(s):  
Cong Li ◽  
Cheng Hong ◽  
Zifei Fay Chen
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Favorable Attitude ◽  
News Article ◽  
News Story ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Negative News ◽  
News Credibility

Many online information systems are delivering personalized news to users today. The essence of this personalization process is to match a news article to the reader’s self-identity. However, prior studies mostly focus on matching a positive news story to a person’s desired identity. No known research has discussed the possibility of matching a negative news story to a person’s undesired identity. This study aims to fill this theoretical gap by testing a three-way interaction effect among news valence, identity desirability, and uniqueness on attitude toward the news story. Through a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment, it is shown that a positive news story tends to generate a more favorable attitude when matched to the reader’s desired self-identity, whereas a negative news story will generate a more favorable attitude when matched to the person’s undesired self-identity, and such an effect is especially pronounced when the identity is unique. Perceived news credibility is found to partially mediate these effects.

scholarly journals Incivility in user comments on online news articles: Investigating the role of opinion dissonance for the effects of incivility on attitudes, emotions and the willingness to participate

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-337
Author(s):  
Julia Lück ◽  
Carlotta Nardi
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Online News ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
News Article ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Attitude Certainty ◽  
User Comments ◽  
News Websites ◽  
Online Debate

Online discussions in comment sections on news websites often do not follow deliberative standards but are instead marked by uncivil expressions of disaffirmation and frustration. This study investigates the effects uncivil statements can have on readers of those comments, especially when the opinion expressed in that comment is contrary to their beliefs. In an online experiment embedded in an online survey 427 participants were confronted with a neutral news article that was accompanied by either civil or uncivil user comments that supported or opposed their own opinions (2×2 between-subject design). Articles and commentaries dealt with the refugee question in Germany. The research focuses on readers’ open-mindedness, willingness to talk to the other side, attitude certainty, moral indignation and willingness to participate in online and offline activities when being exposed to incivility in an online debate. The results support the assumption that incivility has detrimental effects for a deliberative online discussion, but we cannot confirm that the combination of uncivil and unlike-minded comments has the most adverse effects.

scholarly journals The overstated generational gap in online news use? A consolidated infrastructural perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482198997
Author(s):  
Frank Mangold ◽  
Sebastian Stier ◽  
Johannes Breuer ◽  
Michael Scharkow
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Online News ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
News Website ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Robust Evidence ◽  
Representative Samples ◽  
News Use

Recent research by Taneja et al. suggested that digital infrastructures diminish the generational gap in news use by counteracting preference structures. We expand on this seminal work by arguing that an infrastructural perspective requires overcoming limitations of highly aggregated web tracking data used in prior research. We analyze the individual browsing histories of two representative samples of German Internet users collected in 2012 ( N = 2970) and 2018 ( N = 2045) and find robust evidence for a smaller generational gap in online news use than commonly assumed. While short news website visits mostly demonstrated infrastructural factors, longer news use episodes were shaped more by preferences. The infrastructural role of social media corresponded with reduced news avoidance and more varied news repertoires. Overall, the results suggest that research needs to reconsider commonly held premises regarding the uses of digital media in modern high-choice settings.

Understanding online consumption of public affairs news in Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahiyah Omar ◽  
Nurzali Ismail ◽  
Ng See Kee
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
News Credibility ◽  
News Industry

Abstract Evidence from past news research suggested that people are less interested to read hard news including public affairs news. Focusing on Malaysia, this study examines the role of demographic variables, mobile and social media use for news, perceived news credibility and users’ motivations for news in explaining online consumption of public affairs news in the setting which is known for its tight media control. An online survey was employed to collect data from Malaysian Internet users, aged between 18 and 64, who regularly read news online. Data were analyzed using multiple regression. The findings of the study suggest that digital immigrants, or older news users, are more likely to consume public affairs news than young ones. Malaysians read public affairs news which they perceive to be highly credible to fulfill their information and social needs. News organizations in Malaysia can use these findings to design a strategic approach for a more competitive news industry.

Political Advertising Effects on Perceived Bias, Value, and Credibility in Online News

2020 ◽  
pp. 184-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salma Mariam Ayad ◽  
Robert Andrew Dunn ◽  
Stephen William Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Political Advertising ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Article ◽  
The Political ◽  
News Story ◽  
Political Bias ◽  
Advertising Effects ◽  
News Source ◽  
News Value

This study represents an investigation of the effect of political advertising on readers' perceptions of bias, value, and credibility in an online news article. Participants read an unbiased news article placed alongside three advertisements. Participants randomly entered one of three conditions—right-leaning advertisements, left-leaning advertisements, or neutral advertisements. They then answered questions about the perceived bias and credibility of the article. The researchers predicted biased political ads would prime perceptions of bias for the news article, despite its neutrality. Though the findings trended in the hypothesized direction, a lack of significance suggests political advertising may not serve as a prime for news readers in making decisions about the political bias, credibility, and news value of an article or news source. However, participants who had a higher prior knowledge of politics did place a higher news value on the article than those with low prior knowledge. Also, men were more likely to see a liberal bias and to rate a news story higher on news value.

Role of The Halal Industry in Recovering the National Economy in Covid-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-214
Author(s):  
Cucu Susilawati
Keyword(s):  
National Economy ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Online News ◽  
Financial Industry ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Halal Food ◽  
Vigorous Growth ◽  
Business Sectors

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia is attacking not only public health but also the economy. The presence of Covid-19 has many important impacts on developed countries. There are at least four industries most impacted by this pandemic, including households, MSMEs, companies and the financial industry. However, the halal industry is believed to be more resilient to the Covid-19 pandemic. This durability is because of the principles attributed to the halal sector, namely the importance of fairness, balance and openness. The author’s goal is therefore to carry out more in-depth research on the role of the halal industry in supporting the national economy, which is under pressure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This type of study is a literature review with a material analysis approach that explores the conditions of the halal industry in Indonesia in depth. The material received is as books, published information, and online news. The findings of this study reveal that there are three halal business sectors that are believed to be more vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic in order to facilitate national economic recovery. Halal finance, halal food and halal fashion industries are among them. Halal finance from both the banking sector and the Islamic stock market has proved to be more robust than the mainstream financial sector. Besides guaranteed halal food, its wellbeing is also guaranteed, and halal fashion is now on the rise as Muslim fashion is increasingly innovative and global. We believe the three of them to have experienced vigorous growth, and also to continue to draw customers. And also after the Covid-19 pandemic, these three sectors could survive. Thus the halal industry also contributes to Indonesian economy.

Opportunities for Qualitative Analysis of Social Media Platforms in Dietetic Research and Practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Meghan Lynch ◽  
Irena Knezevic ◽  
Kennedy Laborde Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Article ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Public ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Article Comment

To date, most qualitative knowledge about individual eating patterns and the food environment has been derived from traditional data collection methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. However, there currently exists a large source of nutrition-related data in social media discussions that have the potential to provide opportunities to improve dietetic research and practice. Qualitative social media discussion analysis offers a new tool for dietetic researchers and practitioners to gather insights into how the public discusses various nutrition-related topics. We first consider how social media discussion data come with significant advantages including low-cost access to timely ways to gather insights from the public, while also cautioning that social media data have limitations (e.g., difficulty verifying demographic information). We then outline 3 types of social media discussion platforms in particular: (i) online news article comment sections, (ii) food and nutrition blogs, and (iii) discussion forums. We discuss how each different type of social media offers unique insights and provide a specific example from our own research using each platform. We contend that social media discussions can contribute positively to dietetic research and practice.

New Democracy in Digital Era through Social Media and News Online

Humaniora ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Abitassha Az Zahra ◽  
Eko Priyo Purnomo ◽  
Aulia Nur Kasiwi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Online News ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Democracy

The research aimed to explain the pattern of social communication on the issue of rejection of the PLTU Batang development policy. It used data on Twitter accounts involved in the rejection of the PLTU Batang development policy. In analyzing existing data, qualitative methods and social analysis networks were used. To see social networks in the rejection of the PLTU Batang development policy, the research used the NodeXL application to find out the patterns of social communication networks in #TolakPLTUBatang. From the results, it can be seen that in the dissemination of social networking information, the @praditya_wibby account is the most central account in the social network and has a strong influence on the social network. The @praditya_wibby account has a role in moving the community through Twitter to make a critical social movement. This means that in the current digital era, democracy enters a new form through the movement of public opinion delivery through social media. Besides, by encouraging the role of online news, the distribution of information becomes faster to form new perceptions of an issue. This is evident from the correlation network where the @praditya_wibby account has correlations with several compass online media accounts, tirto.id, okezonenews, vice, antaranews, BBCIndonesia, and CNN Indonesia.

Statistical literacy and the news media

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Gelman ◽  
Deborah Nolan
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
News Article ◽  
Introductory Statistics ◽  
News Story ◽  
Statistical Literacy ◽  
Process Information ◽  
Statistics Course ◽  
Reported Study ◽  
Original Report

An important theme in an introductory statistics course is the connection between statistics and the outside world. Described in this chapter are assignments that can be useful in getting students to learn how to gather and process information presented in the news and scientific reports. These assignments seem to work well only when students have direction about how to do this kind of research. Three versions of the assignment are provided. In all three, students read a news story and the original report on which the article was based, and they complete a worksheet with guidelines for summarizing the reported study. In some versions students are supplied the news story and report and in another each student finds a news article and tracks down the original report on her own. Included here are our guidelines, example instructional packets, and the process we use to organize each type of assignment.

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