Search

AbstractUtilising automated content analysis with transformer-based topic modelling (BERTopic), this study examines cross-outlet variation in volume and topics over two decades (2000–2022) of abortion coverage in seven major daily newspapers in the Netherlands. Our findings reveal an ongoing coverage of abortion. Volume of coverage was notably highest in religious newspapers, indicating that these newspapers constitute a prominent voice in Dutch abortion debate. We discerned four distinct frames used in abortion news coverage. The first emphasised political developments as well as protest and advocacy related to abortion, framing the issue as a controversial political and moral topic. The second emphasised uncommon and problematic aspects of abortion, neglecting to present it as a commonplace and safe reproductive healthcare procedure. Two other frames seek to undermine women’s decision-making agency: the marginalisation of women’s personal perspectives; and the highlighting of prerequisites for abortion care. The media’s emphasis on a hierarchy of deservedness may consequently reduce public support for particular reasons for choosing abortion. Overall, our findings show that abortion remains a regularly covered and contentious issue, even amidst progressive legislation. This study highlights the need for balanced reporting that engages with women’s diverse personal experiences and perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Former President Donald Trump is well-known for dominating the attention-driven hybrid media system through his controversial tweets, which spurred social media user engagement and news media attention. The removal of Trump from Twitter/X raises questions about his continued ability to drive news attention through his alt-tech platform, Truth Social. Our analysis shows that the retweets and “retruths” Trump gained predicted related news attention across the political spectrum. However, our results also point to shifts in news attention, including diminished direct embedding of his “truths,” a lower proportion of stories on his Truth Social activity among all stories about him, and greater partisan media attention to his Truth Social activity in 2022, as compared to 2016. These findings advance our understanding of Trump’s social media based communicative power, changing journalistic practices, and the place of alt-tech in the media system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a competitive digital environment, news outlets employ attention-gaining strategies, including the portrayal of conflict. Yet such coverage may backfire. Using an experiment comparing exposure to disagreeable or uncivil conflict news, we examine how articles with different types of conflict relate to intended news engagement through the mediating variables of perceived incivility, news source credibility, and/or surveillance emotions and test the moderating effects of conflict avoidance. We find that in textual, digital settings, uncivil conflict news is high risk and low reward: perceived incivility can increase engagement through surveillance emotions but also can decrease engagement directly and through decreased news credibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to extend the attitude-intention-behavior model by adding news attention and interdependent self-construal as antecedents to understand the pro-environmental behavior of Chinese people. Results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis based on web survey data of 715 Chinese individuals show that interdependent self-construal significantly and positively affected individuals’ attention to environmental news messages on new media platforms. Such news attention then positively affected their attitude toward pro-environmental behavior. In turn, pro-environmental behavioral attitude positively affected their pro-environmental behavioral intention. Finally, individuals’ pro-environmental behavioral intention positively led to their actual pro-environmental behavior. Besides, the results demonstrated that interdependent self-construal also significantly and positively affects individuals’ intention of engaging in pro-environmental behavior, but little evidence was found to support the significant association between interdependent self-construal and pro-environmental attitude. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

News outlets, sports coverage, and even Hollywood movies have highlighted the growing body of research documenting the long-term negative consequences of traumatic injury in athletics, particularly, (sports-related) concussions. Despite so much media coverage, little is known about how much attention members of the American public pay to sports concussion news. Disparities in attention to concussion news among sociodemographic groups may contribute to further inequalities in rates of concussions that stem from participation in collision sports. In this study, using a 2017 nationally representative survey of US residents (n = 964), we examine the social, political, and demographic correlates of individuals' attention to news about concussions in sports. Regression results indicate that older, more educated, Democratic-leaning respondents reported that they pay more attention to news about concussions. Additionally, respondents with a greater past competitive athletic participation and those who regularly watch baseball and football reported higher levels of attention to concussion news. These findings are consistent with previous research showing higher levels of news consumption and trust in science among the highly educated and Democrats. The increased levels among football viewers may be in response to the inclusion of concussion news in game coverage.

Do journalistic relevance criteria still matter in digital news environments where news is selected and aggregated by algorithms? This article investigates how news factors (e.g., conflict, power elite) influence users' news attention and selective exposure on the news aggregator website Google News. Alongside direct effects, the study also examines indirect effects of news factors on users' news selection processes via media cues of news items on the news aggregator website (e.g., picture, position, and recency). The study relies on the news value theory and analyzes observations of users' news attention and selective exposure on Google News via eye tracking (N = 47 participants, N = 751 news items). We conducted a content analysis on all news items on Google News that users paid attention to. The results show that news factors do not have direct effects on news attention and selective exposure, but rather indirect effects mediated via media cues of news items. Consequently, the traditional idea of newsworthiness based on professional journalistic norms continues to play a role on a news aggregator where news is selected by algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests an extended cognitive mediation model (CMM) by adding cancer worry and risk perceptions as outcomes of elaboration and predictors of intention to uptake human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination among young Chinese women. It also investigates if news attention on newspaper, television, and the Internet are indirectly associated with the intention to uptake HPV vaccination through these mediators. Results of structural equation modeling based on survey data with 399 female university students indicate partial support to the extended CMM. Results show that news attention on the Internet is positively associated with elaboration, while news attention on newspaper and television had no association with it. Moreover, elaboration is positively associated with cancer worry but not with risk perception. Next, cancer worry and risk perception were associated with intention to uptake HPV vaccination. Finally, mediation analysis results showed that news attention on the Internet is indirectly associated with intention to uptake HPV vaccination through elaboration and cancer worry. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the multi-component concept of digital literacy as a predictor of civic engagement depending on news attention level among teens. First, it explicated each effect of the four main components of digital literacy such as technical skills, information usage, communication and creation. A nationwide survey of more than 2,500 South Korean students showed that all components but technical skills were significant predictors of various activities of engagement. Information usage was the most salient predictor of posting on social issues and donation, while creation was highly related to volunteering. Next, we tested if there were any salient differences among the low, medium and high-news attention groups. Digital literacy components were significantly related to engagement among high-news attention respondents. In the low-attention group, however, the variables rarely predicted participation. The differences among groups were coherent across various engagement variables. This study demonstrates that frequency and amount of time spent on social media does not automatically guarantee adolescents' civic engagement. Competence and attitude under the broader umbrella of digital literacy are what really matter. The normative and practical implication for digital literacy education and the function of news regarding the connection between digital literacy and engagement were further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by the third-person effect hypothesis, this study used a survey of 1,060 Chinese university students to analyze the impact of anti-corruption news on Chinese audiences' attitudes and political participation. This study found that university students tended to think the influence of anti-corruption news on others was greater than on themselves. In addition, issue involvement and new media attention to such news were found to reduce the self-other perceptual gap. Furthermore, the perceived effects of such news on self were positively associated with supportive attitude toward the anti-corruption policies. Meanwhile, perceived effects on others were negatively related to respondents' political participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication scholars have conflicting views on the relationship between exposure to science news and knowledge, and its subsequent influence on attitudes. Such mixed sentiments could arise from the vague definition of knowledge. Therefore, this paper explicates science knowledge into factual knowledge and subjective knowledge. It also compares the mediating roles of both types of knowledge between news attention and public support for science and technology (S&T). A survey of 967 Singaporeans showed that news attention was positively related to both factual and subjective knowledge. The findings revealed a stronger relationship between subjective knowledge and news attention than factual knowledge and news attention. Additionally, factual knowledge was positively related to public support for S&T, but subjective knowledge was negatively related to public support for S&T. The contrasting directions of these associations demonstrate that factual and subjective knowledge are two distinct dimensions of knowledge. Practically, the findings can inform policymakers and communication practitioners about effective public education and engagement initiatives. This study also provided guidelines for newsmakers in news reporting about S&T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do news coverage of a grassroot protest movement and perceived importance of the movement affect people's participation in the movement? And does people's inference of the effect of the news on themselves versus others make a difference in participation? Informed by the third-person effect hypothesis, we examine these questions in the context of the student-led Sunflower Movement in Taiwan that rose in opposition to a trade pact with China. In the study, we advanced three propositions: First, that the perceived effects of the protest news on oneself would be a better predictor of political participation than would perceived effects of such news on others. Second, that the perceived effect on oneself, not on others, would enhance the impact of issue importance on participation in the movement. And third, how people processed protest news would be another intermediate mechanism on subsequent participatory activities. We found support for these propositions in data collected from a probability sample of 1,137 respondents. The implications of the findings for the robust third-person effect research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media plays a vital role in informing the public about environmental threats. Although climate change is a global problem, developing countries such as India are often more vulnerable to the impacts due to poverty, illiteracy, and low public awareness. Using data from a nationally representative survey in India, this paper explores the relationships between media use, issue attention, and trust in informational sources on one hand and science-based climate change beliefs, risk perceptions, and policy support on the other. Results suggest that the Indian media, through consistent and accurate coverage of global warming using trusted sources, can play a positive role in increasing public engagement among a largely unaware population. Implications for climate change communication in India are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Negativity is a news ideology, and its negative effects on attitude formation are widely documented. Contrary to this view, the present study demonstrates that negative economic news can in fact be good news. Based on a two-wave national panel survey and a media content analysis, we show that individual exposure to negative economic news enhances internal economic efficacy, a sense of competence in and understanding of the economy. This is good news as internal economic efficacy may facilitate economic evaluations and decision making. The study reveals that changes in economic efficacy are driven by news attention aroused by the negative tone. However, not all individuals are susceptible to such media effects. Higher interest in economic news lowers the impact of negativity on attention arousal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PageOneX is a Free/Libre and Open Source Software tool that we designed to aid in the coding, analysis, and visualization of newspaper front pages. Communication scholars have long analyzed newspaper front pages, using column inches as an important indicator of mass media attention. In the past, this involved obtaining physical copies of newspapers, coding and measurement by hand, and manual input of measurements into a spreadsheet or database, followed by calculation, analysis, and visualization. PageOneX automates some of these steps, simplifies others, and makes it possible for teams of investigators to conduct shared newspaper front page analysis online. We review scholarship in this area, describe our approach in depth, provide concrete examples of analysis conducted by media scholars using PageOneX, and discuss future directions for research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects of newspaper endorsements of candidates in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. By endorsing a particular candidate, newspapers appear to play an important role in terms of motivating college students to make their voting decision or jump on the bandwagon of a candidate who is widely endorsed by the press. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research on risk perception and health behavior has examined cognitive dimensions of risk but not affective dimensions. To address this gap, this study examines both cognitive risk perception (perceived risk of susceptibility and severity) and affective risk perception (worry) in the context of food safety risks in East Asia. We investigate their roles in independently and jointly predicting intention to consume outbreak-associated food products, as well as mediating the influences of news exposure and attention on intention. Data from a nationwide survey in South Korea (N= 1500) lent overall support for our hypotheses in both cases of processed food from China and seafood from Japan. Our findings show: (1) both perceived risk and worry were negatively associated with food consumption intention, and the association between perceived risk and intention was stronger among those higher in worry; (2) news attention had stronger associations with perceived risk and worry than news exposure, and attention moderated the relationship between news exposure and perceived risk; and (3) perceived risk and worry mediated the associations between news use and food consumption intention. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a protest news framing cycle and presents the results of a longitudinal analysis of news attention and framing of protest movements. To identify the frame-changing dynamic occurring over time, a content analysis of the news coverage of Occupy Wall Street was conducted on 228 articles and 37 editorials in The New York Times from the start of the protest in September 2011 until long after the protest had subsided in July 2014. The article identifies longitudinal changes in news frames about the economic substance of the protest and the ensuing conflict between protesters and city officials during the occupation. Findings suggest that conflict had a significant impact on the number of news stories about the protest. Further, the results demonstrate how news framing opportunities changed as the movement reached different stages of the news attention cycle. As the movement grew, journalists focused on the movement's economic grievances, including economic inequality, bank bailouts, and foreclosures. As the movement peaked, news attention shifted to the intensifying conflict between city officials and protesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the interrelationships amongst and between news attention, education, and political tolerance. Based on the theoretical presumption that the mainstream news media tend to reflect the prejudices and ideologies of the dominant groups in a society, news portrayal of groups regarded as deviant and/or controversial can be expected to be negative in valence. Hence, news attention is expected to lead to more negative attitudes toward such groups, which in turn breeds intolerance toward them. Meanwhile, education may moderate the relationship between news attention and tolerance. Research questions and hypotheses are examined through analyzing the data from a representative survey conducted in Hong Kong. The findings confirm the negative, indirect effect of news attention on tolerance through attitude toward deviant groups. Education is also found to relate to tolerance in a complicated and contradictory manner: while education has a direct positive effect on tolerance, it also strengthens the negative impact that attitude toward deviant groups has on tolerance. The theoretical and social implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent are groups selectively exposed to news that affects their self-interest? We theorize that having an interest at stake in an issue increases the importance of related information, promoting selective exposure to politics. The framework we develop generates hypotheses we test with data from 29 U.S. public opinion surveys conducted between 1997 and 2007 with a combined sample size of over 40,000 respondents. We find that though the propensity to follow news is a general predisposition, people's exposure to specific issues varies based on whether or not information is relevant to their interests, as defined by social group (or issue public) membership. While general awareness of political matters is normatively desirable, exposure to issues relevant to one's self-interest is an equally important and necessary precondition for political engagement and issue public formation. Evidence from this study suggests that citizens with low levels of general news exposure may, nonetheless, attend to personally relevant information, enabling democratic accountability across dynamic information environments. [Supplementary material is available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Political Communication for the following free supplemental resource(s): iPoll survey identifiers for the data used in this article and full regression results for all statistical models reported in the article.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies disagree as to whether an optimistic bias can account for the commonly observed third-person perceptions. This study aims to help clarify the relationship between third-person perceptions and biased optimism in the context of assessing the impact of the news about bird flu outbreaks in Taiwan. Using a random sample of 1,107 college students, third-person perception and optimistic bias were found to be robust but unrelated. Although both optimistic bias and third-person effect are psychological perceptual judgments that can be attributed to self-serving motivation, the third-person perception is a biased interpretation of media influence, while biased optimistic perceptions are a social psychological mechanism of bolstering self-esteem in self-other comparisons regarding a risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how attention to science and political news may influence the way people feel about an environmental risk, and how this in turn impacts policy preferences. Using an online survey conducted on the issue of fine dust pollution in South Korea, this study found that science news attention was associated with greater anxiety and anger about the issue, whereas political news attention was associated with fear and sadness/depression (as well as anxiety and anger). Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that science news attention indirectly influenced support for preventive policy through anxiety, whereas political news attention indirectly influenced punitive policy support through anger and fear. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Although widespread declines in insect biomass and diversity are increasing concerns within the scientific community, it remains unclear whether attention to pollinator declines has also increased within information sources serving the general public. Examining patterns of journalistic attention to the pollinator population crisis can also inform efforts to raise awareness about the importance of declines of insect species providing ecosystem services beyond pollination. We used the Global News Index developed by the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to track news attention to pollinator topics in nearly 25 million news items published by two American national newspapers and four international wire services over the past four decades. We found vanishingly low levels of attention to pollinator population topics relative to coverage of climate change, which we use as a comparison topic. In the most recent subset of ∼10 million stories published from 2007 to 2019, 1.39% (137,086 stories) refer to climate change/global warming while only 0.02% (1,780) refer to pollinator populations in all contexts, and just 0.007% (679) refer to pollinator declines. Substantial increases in news attention were detectable only in US national newspapers. We also find that, while climate change stories appear primarily in newspaper "front sections," pollinator population stories remain largely marginalized in "science" and "back section" reports. At the same time, news reports about pollinator populations increasingly link the issue to climate change, which might ultimately help raise public awareness to effect needed policy changes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.