{"title":"Online news platforms still matter: generational news consumption patterns during the 2020 presidential election","authors":"Rik Ray","doi":"10.1515/omgc-2023-0012","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Purpose Gen Z or younger news audiences are believed to contribute to declining news consumption as a result of decreased news interest and reduced trust, particularly in political news. It can have adverse consequences for democratic processes. This study offers a more nuanced perspective by qualifying the role of context, and generational differences and similarities in online political news consumption patterns before and after the 2020 US presidential election, which witnessed a series of unprecedented events in the country’s history. Design/methodology/approach To investigate these patterns, I use US aggregated website visitation data from Comscore in a quasi-experimental interrupted time series design, leveraging the 2020 election as a natural experimental condition. Findings While Gen Z are indeed consuming considerably less news, contrary to assumptions, there was significantly increased engagement with news websites following the election. Additionally, media audiences across generations are likely to reduce social media use during such events. Implications Major political events can significantly influence media use patterns such as the extent of news consumption in general and political news in particular, something not often considered in media effects-oriented research. There is also an urgent need to review and reassess our definitions of news, news sources, and its audience. Originality/value By using observational data in a quasi-experimental design, this study offers a more precise and refined perspective of generational patterns of online political news consumption in the context of a major political event that both corroborates as well as challenges some our existing notions of media use.","PeriodicalId":29805,"journal":{"name":"Online Media and Global Communication","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Online Media and Global Communication","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1515/omgc-2023-0012","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract Purpose Gen Z or younger news audiences are believed to contribute to declining news consumption as a result of decreased news interest and reduced trust, particularly in political news. It can have adverse consequences for democratic processes. This study offers a more nuanced perspective by qualifying the role of context, and generational differences and similarities in online political news consumption patterns before and after the 2020 US presidential election, which witnessed a series of unprecedented events in the country’s history. Design/methodology/approach To investigate these patterns, I use US aggregated website visitation data from Comscore in a quasi-experimental interrupted time series design, leveraging the 2020 election as a natural experimental condition. Findings While Gen Z are indeed consuming considerably less news, contrary to assumptions, there was significantly increased engagement with news websites following the election. Additionally, media audiences across generations are likely to reduce social media use during such events. Implications Major political events can significantly influence media use patterns such as the extent of news consumption in general and political news in particular, something not often considered in media effects-oriented research. There is also an urgent need to review and reassess our definitions of news, news sources, and its audience. Originality/value By using observational data in a quasi-experimental design, this study offers a more precise and refined perspective of generational patterns of online political news consumption in the context of a major political event that both corroborates as well as challenges some our existing notions of media use.
期刊介绍：
Online Media and Global Communication (OMGC) is a new venue for high quality articles on theories and methods about the role of online media in global communication. This journal is sponsored by the Center for Global Public Opinion Research of China and School of Journalism and Communication, Shanghai International Studies University, China. It is published solely online in English. The journal aims to serve as an academic bridge in the research of online media and global communication between the dominating English-speaking world and the non-English speaking world that has remained mostly invisible due to language barriers. Through its structured abstracts for all research articles and uniform keyword system in the United Nations’ official six languages plus Japanese and German (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and German), the journal provides a highly accessible platform to users worldwide. Its unique dual track single-blind and double-blind review system facilitates manuscript reviews with different levels of author identities. OMGC publishes review essays on the state-of-the-art in online media and global communication research in different countries and regions, original research papers on topics related online media and global communication and translated articles from non-English speaking Global South. It strives to be a leading platform for scientific exchange in online media and global communication.
For events and more, consider following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/OMGCJOURNAL.
Topics
OMGC publishes high quality, innovative and original research on global communication especially in the use of global online media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Weibo, WeChat, Wikipedia, web sites, blogs, etc. This journal will address the contemporary concerns about the effects and operations of global digital media platforms on international relations, international public opinion, fake news and propaganda dissemination, diaspora communication, consumer behavior as well as the balance of voices in the world. Comparative research across countries are particularly welcome. Empirical research is preferred over conceptual papers.
Article Formats
In addition to the standard research article format, the Journal includes the following formats:
● One translation paper selected from Non-English Journals that with high quality as “Gems from the Global South” per issue
● One review essay on current state of research in online media and global communication in a country or region
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
分享
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
扫码关注我们
