Quantitative and qualitative analysis of linking patterns of mainstream and partisan online news media in Central Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Hrckova ◽  
Robert Moro ◽  
Ivan Srba ◽  
Maria Bielikova

PurposePartisan news media, which often publish extremely biased, one-sided or even false news, are gaining popularity world-wide and represent a major societal issue. Due to a growing number of such media, a need for automatic detection approaches is of high demand. Automatic detection relies on various indicators (e.g. content characteristics) to identify new partisan media candidates and to predict their level of partisanship. The aim of the research is to investigate to a deeper extent whether it would be appropriate to rely on the hyperlinks as possible indicators for better automatic partisan news media detection.Design/methodology/approachThe authors utilized hyperlink network analysis to study the hyperlinks of partisan and mainstream media. The dataset involved the hyperlinks of 18 mainstream media and 15 partisan media in Slovakia and Czech Republic. More than 171 million domain pairs of inbound and outbound hyperlinks of selected online news media were collected with Ahrefs tool, analyzed and visualized with Gephi software. Additionally, 300 articles covering COVID-19 from both types of media were selected for content analysis of hyperlinks to verify the reliability of quantitative analysis and to provide more detailed analysis.FindingsThe authors conclude that hyperlinks are reliable indicators of media affinity and linking patterns could contribute to partisan news detection. The authors found out that especially the incoming links with dofollow attribute to news websites are reliable indicators for assessing the type of media, as partisan media rarely receive links with dofollow attribute from mainstream media. The outgoing links are not such reliable indicators as both mainstream and partisan media link to mainstream sources similarly.Originality/valueIn contrast to the extensive amount of research aiming at fake news detection within a piece of text or multimedia content (e.g. news articles, social media posts), the authors shift to characterization of the whole news media. In addition, the authors did a geographical shift from more researched US-based media to so far under-researched European context, particularly Central Europe. The results and conclusions can serve as a guide how to derive new features for an automatic detection of possibly partisan news media by means of artificial intelligence (AI).Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at the following link: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-10-2020-0441.

Author(s):  
Kathleen Searles ◽  
Joshua P. Darr ◽  
Mingxiao Sui ◽  
Nathan Kalmoe ◽  
Raymond Pingree ◽  
...  

Abstract Previous study demonstrates that partisans perceive in-party news outlets as fair, and out-party news outlets as unfair. However, much of this study relies on one-shot designs. We create an ecologically valid design that randomly assigns participants to news feeds within a week-long online news portal where the balance of in-party and out-party news outlets has been manipulated. We find that sustained exposure to a feed that features out-party news media attenuates Democrats' beliefs that Fox News is unfair, but the same is not true for Republican's perceptions of MSNBC's fairness. Unexpectedly, repeated exposure to in-party news did increase Republicans' beliefs that Fox News is unfair. This study updates our understanding of partisan news effects in a fragmented online news environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benny Nuriely ◽  
Moti Gigi ◽  
Yuval Gozansky

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the ways socio-economic issues are represented in mainstream news media and how it is consumed, understood and interpreted by Israeli young adults (YAs). It examines how mainstream media uses neo-liberal discourse, and the ways YAs internalize this ethic, while simultaneously finding ways to overcome its limitations. Design/methodology/approach This was a mixed methods study. First, it undertook content analysis of the most popular Israeli mainstream news media among YAs: the online news site Ynet and the TV Channel 2 news. Second, the authors undertook semi-structured in-depth interviews with 29 Israeli YAs. The analysis is based on an online survey of 600 young Israelis, aged 18–35 years. Findings Most YAs did not perceive mainstream media as enabling a reliable understanding of the issues important to them. The content analysis revealed that self-representation of YAs is rare, and that their issues were explained, and even resolved, by older adults. Furthermore, most of YAs' problems in mainstream news media were presented using a neo-liberal perspective. Finally, from the interviews, the authors learned that YAs did not find information that could help them deal with their most pressing economic and social issue, in the content offered by mainstream media. For most of them, social media overcomes these shortcomings. Originality/value Contrary to research that has explored YAs’ consumerism of new media outlets, this article explores how YAs in Israel are constructed in the media, as well as the way in which YAs understand mainstream and new social media coverage of the issues most important to them. Using media content analysis and interviews, the authors found that Young Adults tend to be ambivalent toward media coverage. They understand the lack of media information: most of them know that they do not learn enough from the media. This acknowledgment accompanies their tendency to internalize the neo-liberal logic and conservative Israeli national culture, in which class and economic redistribution are largely overlooked. Mainstream news media uses neo-liberal discourse, and young adults internalize this logic, while simultaneously finding ways to overcome the limitations this discourse offers. They do so by turning to social media, mainly Facebook. Consequently, their behavior maintains the logic of the market, while also developing new social relations, enabled by social media.


Daedalus ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 108-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kelly Garrett ◽  
Paul Resnick

Must the Internet promote political fragmentation? Although this is a possible outcome of personalized online news, we argue that other futures are possible and that thoughtful design could promote more socially desirable behavior. Research has shown that individuals crave opinion reinforcement more than they avoid exposure to diverse viewpoints and that, in many situations, hearing the other side is desirable. We suggest that, equipped with this knowledge, software designers ought to create tools that encourage and facilitate consumption of diverse news streams, making users, and society, better off. We propose several techniques to help achieve this goal. One approach focuses on making useful or intriguing opinion-challenges more accessible. The other centers on nudging people toward diversity by creating environments that accentuate its benefits. Advancing research in this area is critical in the face of increasingly partisan news media, and we believe these strategies can help.


Significance The new rules follow a stand-off between Twitter and the central government last month over some posts and accounts. The government has used this stand-off as an opportunity not only to tighten rules governing social media, including Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and LinkedIn, but also those for other digital service providers including news publishers and entertainment streaming companies. Impacts Government moves against dominant social media platforms will boost the appeal of smaller platforms with light or no content moderation. Hate speech and harmful disinformation are especially hard to control and curb on smaller platforms. The new rules will have a chilling effect on online public discourse, increasing self-censorship (at the very least). Government action against online news media would undercut fundamental democratic freedoms and the right to dissent. Since US-based companies dominate key segments of the Indian digital market, India’s restrictive rules could mar India-US ties.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerome Duberry ◽  
Sabrya Hamidi

PurposeDespite the growing interest in AI, the scientific literature lacks multinational studies that examine how mainstream media depict AI applications. This paper is one of the first empirical studies to explore how French and English-speaking mainstream media portray AI during a pandemic. The purpose of this study is to examine how media define AI and how they frame this technology.Design/methodology/approachThe authors selected five media outlets and extracted all news articles that mentioned AI over a period of 30 days. The authors constituted the sample to ensure a mix of global, national and local media newspapers. The authors included Le Temps (Switzerland), Le Monde (France), The Guardian (United Kingdom), Politico Europe (Europe) and the New York Times (USA). The authors used the NexisUni database to collect the news articles. This resulted in a sample of 54 articles, which the authors then refined to 35 articles mentioning at the same AI and COVID-19. They then manually coded to identify media frames about AI.FindingsAlthough no news article provides a definition of AI, most articles highlight two main characteristics: information processing and adaptability. This paper also shows that the coverage of AI in US newspaper is more optimistic than pessimistic. European newspapers offer a more balanced perspective of the risks and benefits associated with the technology, and highlight its use mainly in the context of the COVID-19. Media framing changes according to the evolution of the pandemic. While the USA were not yet heavily affected by the virus, Europe experienced the peak of the crisis. The authors argue that the framing of AI follows that of the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited in terms of timeframe (30 days) and media outlets (5). It would be useful to extend this sample to verify the results, and also conduct interviews among journalists to understand their motivations and understanding of AI.Originality/valueDespite the growing interest in AI, the scientific literature lacks multinational studies that examine how mainstream media depict AI applications in society. This paper is one of the first empirical studies to explore how French and English-speaking mainstream media portray AI during a pandemic.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-09-2020-0393


2021 ◽  
pp. 194016122110150
Author(s):  
Rainer Freudenthaler ◽  
Hartmut Wessler

In this study, we offer a novel approach to research on migration reporting by focusing on the argumentative substance prevalent in different online outlets. Taking German refugee policy as our case in point we map the role that moral, ethical–cultural, legal, and pragmatic argumentations play within journalistic, partisan, and activist outlets; and how these coincide with incivility and impoliteness. Using dictionary-based content analysis on a data set of 34,819 articles from thirty online news outlets published between April 10, 2017, and April 10, 2018, we find that legacy mainstream media, partisan media, and activist media perform vastly different functions for the larger public sphere. We observe that human rights activist media perform an advocatory function by making the moral case for refugees, whereas corrosive partisan media at the fringe—particularly within the contra-refugee camp—often present opponents as inherently illegitimate enemies. Implications for public sphere theory and directions for future research on emerging and legacy media are discussed.


Info ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woohyun Yoo ◽  
Dong-Hee Shin

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine, in the context of online news use, the predictive values of two factors: perceived bias in traditional media and preference for partisan news. Design/methodology/approach This study used data collected as part of the Pew Internet and American Life Project between December 28, 2009, and January 19, 2010. The data were analyzed using linear regression analysis. Findings The findings provide evidence of the values of two potentially significant predictors of online news use: a perception of bias in traditional media and preference for partisan news. In addition, higher levels of political partisanship were shown to intensify the positive effect of perceived bias in traditional media on online news use in new media outlets, reinforcing the impact of preference for partisan news on participatory online news use. Research limitations/implications Depending on individual decisions, the internet can either help to empower deliberative democracy (where diverse and different voices coexist) or lead to an extremely polarized society. Originality/value With the explosive growth of the internet as a news source, media scholars have explored the factors that encourage people to rely on the internet for news and information. Nevertheless, certain attributes of online news consumption originating from individual attitudes about and perceptions of the media environment remain underspecified. This research helps advance an understanding of the types of people who seek news online and how they use various sources.


Kandai ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 291
Author(s):  
NFN Aliurridha ◽  
Susana Widyastuti

The #2019gantipresiden movement was a new agenda of the opposition to win the 2019 presidential election. There were many rejections of these movements. The media reported these rejections with different language style so as to articulate their ideologies. The goal of this research is to explain the attitude of mainstream media toward the rejections of #2019gantipresiden and how ideology plays a role in discourse production. This research used CDA with the appraisal system approach to analyze linguistic features. The data in this research were taken from three different online news media, CNN Indonesia, Detik, and Kompas. The data of this research were collected by selected purposive sampling: three tops of news report were chosen in ‘Google search engine’ of each media. The data analysis was done through referential, substitutional and abductive inference method. The result shows that CNN and Kompas marginalize the #2019gantipresiden movement in reporting the rejection while Detik more neutral. CNN was more focused on describing the #2019gantipresiden movement by negative evaluation while others more focused on reporting the rejection. Furthermore, CNN used explicit, provocative, sharp and straightforward language styles; Detik used neutral, emphatic, careful, and objective language styles; Kompas used deep and clear analysis and more delicate language styles in reporting the rejection of the #2019gantipresiden movement.(Gerakan #2019gantipresiden adalah agenda baru pihak oposisi untuk memenangkan pemilihan presiden 2019. Ada banyak penolakan terhadap gerakan ini. Media memberitakan penolakan ini dengan gaya bahasa yang berbeda-beda mewakili ideologi mereka. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan sikap media online arus utama dalam memberitakan penolakan ini dan bagaimana ideologi berperan dalam praktik wacana. Penelitian ini menggunakan AWK dengan pendekatan sistem appraisal untuk menganalisis fitur-fitur linguistik. Data dalam penelitian ini diambil dari tiga media berita online (daring) yang berbeda, CNN Indonesia, Detik, dan Kompas. Data penelitian ini dikumpulkan dengan purposive sampling: tiga artikel teratas dipilih pada 'mesin pencari Google' dari masing-masing media. Data dianalisis menggunakan metode referensial, substitusi, dan abduktif inferensial. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa CNN dan Kompas cenderung memarginalkan gerakan #2019gantipresiden dalam memberitakan penolakan sementara Detik lebih netral. CNN fokus dalam menggambarkan gerakan #2019gantipresiden dengan evaluasi negatif sementara yang lain lebih fokus pada pemberitaan penolakan. Selain itu, CNN menggunakan bahasa yang eksplisit, provokatif, tajam dan langsung; sementara Detik menggunakan bahasa yang lebih netral, empati, hati-hati, dan objektif; Kompas menggunakan analisis yang mendalam, jelas, dan lebih halus dalam memberitakan penolakan terhadap gerakan # 2019gantipresiden.)


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tunde Simeon Amosun ◽  
Chu Jianxun ◽  
Olayemi Hafeez Rufai ◽  
Muhideen Sayibu ◽  
Riffat Shahani ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the utilitarian value (UV), hedonic value (HV) and social value (SV) that make people use a certain type of online media website and how the usage of specific online media website impact the way people perceive online information credibility (OIC). A research model was also proposed to explain the essence of this study. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted the survey research methodology to empirically test the research model with 873 research participants from the University of Science and Technology of China and Anhui Medical University. Findings Results from structural equation modeling showed that UV and HV have a significant positive impact on the usage of print news media website (PNMW), usage of broadcast news media website (BNMW) and usage of social networking website (SNW). The SV was also found to have a significant positive impact on the usage of SNWs. The result also indicated that the usage of the PNMW and the usage of the BNMW by online users have a significantly positive impact on high rating of OIC. However, the result showed that the usage of SNW does not have a significant positive impact on the high rating of OIC. Originality/value Findings in this study provided substantial contributions toward the advancement of the uses and gratification theoretical framework by unraveling how certain motivational values can influence online media users’ preferences for specific online media websites, as well as showing how specific online media websites affect online users’ perception of OIC.


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