scholarly journals Are newspapers’ news stories becoming more alike? Media content diversity in Belgium, 1983–2013

Journalism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 1665-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Beckers ◽  
Andrea Masini ◽  
Julie Sevenans ◽  
Miriam van der Burg ◽  
Julie De Smedt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
News Media ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Media Ownership ◽  
Similar Profile ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Content Diversity ◽  
Group Concentration ◽  
Over Time

In recent years, communication scholars have expressed concerns about the diversity of news media content. While we live in an era of ‘news abundance’ – the number of outlets and channels has increased enormously – the available news is argued to have become more of the same, but has it? As empirical evidence is lacking, this article verifies whether newspapers in Flanders (Belgium), over time, have indeed become less diverse in terms of the news stories they cover. Based on data from a longitudinal content analysis of nine Flemish newspapers at four points in time (1983, 1993, 2003, and 2013), it shows that (1) newspapers, in general, have not become more alike in terms of news stories; (2) newspapers with a similar profile (elite/popular) are less diverse than newspapers with dissimilar profiles; and (3) newspapers owned by the same media group (concentration of media ownership) are more alike than independently owned newspapers.

scholarly journals The People’s Champions? Populist Communication as a Contextually Dependent Political Strategy

2021 ◽  
pp. 107769902199864
Author(s):  
Iskander De Bruycker ◽  
Matthijs Rooduijn
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
News Media ◽  
Political Strategy ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Eu Policy ◽  
News Stories

This article conceives of populist communication as a contextually dependent political strategy. We bridge actor- and communication-centered approaches by arguing that the context of issues conditions the extent to which parties employ populist communication. We draw from a content analysis of 2,085 news stories in eight news media outlets and Eurobarometer data connected to 41 EU policy issues and analyze statements from 85 political parties. Our findings show that populist parties are more prone to express populism on salient and polarized issues. Issues important to civil society groups, in contrast, make non-populist parties more inclined to express such communication.

Remembering the News: Effects of Medium and Message Discrepancy on News Recall over Time

1995 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 666-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Wicks
Keyword(s):  
Associative Memory ◽  
News Media ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
News Stories ◽  
New Information ◽  
News Effects ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Better Than

This article suggests a theoretical explanation of the processes related to recall and learning of media news information. It does so by linking the concepts of schematic thinking and the Search of Associative Memory (SAM) to the variable of time. It argues that learning from the news may be better than many recent studies suggest. Although humans may have trouble recalling discrete news stories in recall examinations, it seems likely that they acquire “common knowledge” from the news media. Time is an important variable in helping people to remember news if they use it to think about new information in the context of previously stored knowledge.

When news media and social media meet: How Facebook users reacted to news stories about a supermarket plastic bag ban

2020 ◽  
pp. 146144482095668
Author(s):  
Kim Borg ◽  
Jo Lindsay ◽  
Jim Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Real Time ◽  
News Media ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Plastic Bag ◽  
Contemporary Media

Plastic reduction policies are important for addressing plastic pollution however, the success of such policies relies on establishing new social norms. This study advances knowledge on public expressions of social norms by exploring the interplay between news media and social media in response to a new environmental policy. It is the first study to explore this phenomenon with the explicit aim of identifying and comparing information related to social norms. A content analysis was conducted in relation to the 2018 Australian supermarket plastic bag ban. Results demonstrate how social norms related to a new policy are created, reinforced and expressed in the contemporary media landscape. The interaction between news media and social media offers a window into public expressions of social norms, where social media provides a platform for civic participation in a public and real-time environment in which users can challenge the dominant narrative presented by the news media.

Framing the Candidates in Presidential Primaries: Issues and Images in Press Releases and News Coverage

1998 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mark Miller ◽  
Julie L. Andsager ◽  
Bonnie P. Riechert
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
News Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Press Releases ◽  
Presidential Candidates ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Presidential Primaries ◽  
Computerized Content Analysis ◽  
Elite Newspapers

Media coverage of presidential primaries is crucial to voters, and candidates often complain that news coverage fails to present their positions. This study used computerized content analysis to examine how the 1996 GOP presidential candidates framed themselves in press releases and how elite newspapers covered them. The analysis reveals that (1) candidate images were distinct in press releases and news stories; (2) candidate positions were represented differently in both; and (3) candidates were differentially successful in getting news media to reflect their positions. News media covered substantive concerns that were not included in candidate press releases.

scholarly journals Student Content Analysis of Business News Coverage

10.28945/2544 ◽  
2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine K. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
News Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Local Community ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Business Community ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Business News

Content analysis of media coverage provided a setting for group work, critical thinking, research, and data analysis. The analysis was motivated by a series of news stories that had damaged the reputation of the local community. The question was whether local news coverage was negative toward the business community. A business class addressed the problem and found that articles that business would view as favorable predominated. Based on their research, the class formulated a public relations strategy. Although this setting is a business class, content analysis of news media would work in other classes that emphasize critical thinking and problem solving.

scholarly journals From robots to social robots. Trends, representation and Facebook engagement of robot-related news stories published by Italian online news media

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Righetti ◽  
Marco Carradore
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Online News ◽  
Social Robots ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Relevance ◽  
News Stories ◽  
The Social ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
Over Time

In recent decades, robots, social robots and artificial intelligence have increasingly entered daily life, affirming their presence not only in traditional spheres such as industrial production, but also gaining access to social reproduction, expressive functions and domestic activities. Considering the social relevance robots have now acquired, this essay aims at investigating their cultural representations in Italian online news media. More specifically, the study investigates trends of robot-related topics in online newspaper coverage and Facebook engagement over time, and analyzes news topics through text mining techniques. The study relies on a dataset of about 3,000 news stories published between 2014 and 2018 by some 100 different Italian news media. Results show a constant increase in news relating to robots, a major interest in work issues and a thematic shift over time: more recent topics describe the social-reproduction functions of robots. Finally, some suggestions for future research are outlined.

scholarly journals Big news stories and longitudinal data collection: A prominent child sexual abuse case negatively affects parents’ attitudes toward male caregivers

2021 ◽  
pp. 016502542110424
Author(s):  
Antoinette D. A. Kroes ◽  
Lotte D. van der Pol ◽  
Marleen G. Groeneveld ◽  
Judi Mesman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
News Media ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Longitudinal Data Collection ◽  
Chart Patterns ◽  
Over Time

Consumption of news media can influence attitudes toward specific groups, but the influence of news media on longitudinal data collection has not yet been researched. We present a method to index media attention on a specific topic, as well as a case study on a big child sexual abuse (CSA) story and its effect on parents’ attitudes toward male childcare professionals in a longitudinal study with fathers and mothers of 207 Dutch families. Questionnaire data on attitudes toward gender-differentiated parenting were collected in four annual waves between 2010 and 2014. NexisUni® Academic database was used to index articles on CSA to chart patterns of media attention before and during that time span. There was an immediate increase in media attention, the amount of articles on CSA doubled, as well as a prolonged increase in attention which culminated during the second wave of the study. In the first wave, 97 of the families participated before the CSA case became known, and 110 participated afterward. Parents who participated after the first news about the case came out reported a more negative attitude toward hiring a male babysitter than those who participated before it. This effect was stronger for mothers. The negative effect on attitude endured during the subsequent waves for all fathers and for those mothers who participated before the news broke. Findings indicate that big news stories influence attitudes that lasts over time and can therefore influence longitudinal data. Further analysis suggests that the influence of news stories is gendered, as mothers showed a recovery in their attitudes over time while fathers did not. We recommend further research on the effect of news on attitude and behavioral measures in longitudinal research.

Change Over Time in Australian Newspaper Reporting of Drinking During Pregnancy: A Content Analysis (2000–2017)

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 690-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Cook ◽  
Geoffrey Leggat ◽  
Amy Pennay
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
News Media ◽  
Poisson Regression ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Poisson Regression Analysis ◽  
Media Messages ◽  
Newspaper Reporting ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Aims This paper analyses the content of news media messages on drinking during pregnancy in Australia over an 18-year period to understand whether and how the nature of messages communicated to women has changed over time. Methods Factiva was used to search Australian newspapers from 2000 to 2017, resulting in a sample of 1394 articles from the 18 major national and state-based newspapers. Content analysis of articles was undertaken, and Poisson regression analysis was used to assess changes over time. Results The largest number of articles on drinking during pregnancy was published in 2007. Themes that significantly increased over time included Harms to the Child (from 0.97% in 2008 to 29.69% in 2015) and Prevention Initiatives (from 0% in 2005 to 12.50% in 2017). Articles endorsing women not consuming alcohol during pregnancy significantly increased over time (from 20.69% in 2001 to 53.78% in 2013), matched by a decreasing trend in the proportion of articles presenting mixed advice (from 15.93% in 2009 to 0% in 2017). The largest number of articles adopted no position in relation to women’s consumption. Conclusions A stronger abstinence message during pregnancy has been communicated through Australian newspaper media over time. The mixed messaging and large number of articles not endorsing a position on consumption may reflect the inconclusiveness of the evidence on harms from low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Opportunities remain for researchers to work with public health advocates to disseminate balanced messages based on evidence-based research.

The association between Twitter content and suicide

2020 ◽  
pp. 000486742096980
Author(s):  
Mark Sinyor ◽  
Marissa Williams ◽  
Rabia Zaheer ◽  
Raisa Loureiro ◽  
Jane Pirkis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Media Content ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Legal Problems ◽  
Local Newspaper ◽  
Control Window ◽  
Newspaper Reporter ◽  
Social Causes

Objective: A growing body of research has established that specific elements of suicide-related news reporting can be associated with increased or decreased subsequent suicide rates. This has not been systematically investigated for social media. The aim of this study was to identify associations between specific social media content and suicide deaths. Methods: Suicide-related tweets ( n = 787) geolocated to Toronto, Canada and originating from the highest level influencers over a 1-year period (July 2015 to June 2016) were coded for general, putatively harmful and putatively protective content. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine whether tweet characteristics were associated with increases or decreases in suicide deaths in Toronto in the 7 days after posting, compared with a 7-day control window. Results: Elements independently associated with increased subsequent suicide counts were tweets about the suicide of a local newspaper reporter (OR = 5.27, 95% CI = [1.27, 21.99]), ‘other’ social causes of suicide (e.g. cultural, relational, legal problems; OR = 2.39, 95% CI = [1.17, 4.86]), advocacy efforts (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = [1.48, 3.70]) and suicide death (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = [1.07, 2.15]). Elements most strongly independently associated with decreased subsequent suicides were tweets about murder suicides (OR = 0.02, 95% CI = [0.002, 0.17]) and suicide in first responders (OR = 0.17, 95% CI = [0.05, 0.52]). Conclusions: These findings largely comport with the theory of suicide contagion and associations observed with traditional news media. They specifically suggest that tweets describing suicide deaths and/or sensationalized news stories may be harmful while those that present suicide as undesirable, tragic and/or preventable may be helpful. These results suggest that social media is both an important exposure and potential avenue for intervention.

South African newspaper coverage of COVID-19: A content analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman Wasserman ◽  
Wallace Chuma ◽  
Tanja Bosch ◽  
Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam ◽  
Rachel Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
News Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
English Language ◽  
Newspaper Coverage ◽  
Front Page ◽  
News Stories ◽  
African Media ◽  
Negative Tone

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to unprecedented media coverage globally and in South Africa where, at the time of writing, over 20,000 people had died from the virus. This article explores how mainstream print media covered the COVID-19 pandemic during this time of crisis. The news media play a key role in keeping the public informed during such health crises and potentially shape citizens’ perceptions of the pandemic. Drawing on a content analysis of 681 front-page news stories across eleven English-language publications, we found that nearly half of the stories used an alarmist narrative, more than half of the stories had a negative tone, and most publications reported in an episodic rather than thematic manner. Most of the stories focused on impacts of the pandemic and included high levels of sensationalism. In addition, despite the alarmist and negative nature of the reporting, most of the front-page reports did not provide information about ways to limit the spread of the virus or attempt to counter misinformation about the pandemic, raising key issues about the roles and responsibilities of the South African media during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study shows that South African newspaper coverage of COVID-19 was largely negative, possibly to attract audience attention and increase market share, but that this alarmist coverage left little possibility for citizens’ individual agency and self-efficacy in navigating the pandemic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document