Media Consolidation, Fragmentation and Selective Exposure in the USA

Author(s):  
Diana Owen
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 590-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Carlos Correia ◽  
Pedro Jerónimo ◽  
Anabela Gradim

This text addresses the phenomenon of so-called fake news in the new media ecosystem, namely in contexts of increasing influence of populist discourse and action, such as Brazil, the UK, the USA, Italy, among others. It does so by way of some characteristics already implicit in the limited effects theory: a) fake news involves, in a specific way, the participation of its receivers in disseminating and sharing it; b) producers/consumers (prosumers) are involved in contexts of proximity that facilitate selective exposure, perception, and memorization; c) these phenomena are joined by another (selective sharing): the stakeholders share ideas they agree with more intensely. Information bubbles reinforce existing beliefs and predispositions; d) the phenomenon is increased in contexts of proximity, be it geographical proximity provided by regional media or thematic and ideological proximity shared in online groups. Despite this, there is a difference between contexts of proximity in traditional communities and mechanisms of propaganda that have a significant level of organization and ideological polarization.Este texto aborda o fenômeno das chamadas fake news no novo ecossistema midiático, nomeadamente em contextos de aumento da influência do discurso e das ações populistas, como Brasil, Reino Unido, EUA, Itália entre outros, através de algumas características, já implícitas na teoria dos efeitos limitados: a) as fake news implicam, de um modo especial, a participação dos seus receptores na sua divulgação e dispersão; b) os produtores/consumidores (prosumers) estão envolvidos em contextos de proximidade que facilitam a exposição, percepção, memorização seletivas; c) a estes fenômenos acrescenta-se outro (partilha seletiva): os stakeholders compartilham com mais intensidade as ideias com que estão de acordo. As bolhas de informação reforçam crenças e predisposições já existentes; d) o fenômeno agrava-se em contextos de proximidade, seja esta a proximidade geográfica e temática proporcionada nos media regionais, seja a proximidade temática e ideológica partilhadas nos grupos online. Apesar disso, há uma diferença liminar entre os contextos de proximidade em comunidades tradicionais e os mecanismos de propaganda com forte índice de organização e mobilização ideológica.Este texto aborda el fenómeno de las llamadas fake news en el nuevo ecosistema mediático, a saber, en contextos de creciente influencia del discurso y la acción populistas como Brasil, EE.UU., U.K., Italia, entre otros, mediante algunas características implícitas en la teoria de los efectos limitados: a) las fake news implican, de modo especial, la participación de sus receptores en su divulgación y dispersión; b) los productores / consumidores (prosumers) participan en contextos de proximidad que facilitan la exposición, la percepción y la memorización selectiva; c) a estos fenómenos se añade otro (compartición selectiva): los stakeholders, quienes comparten con más intensidad las ideas con que están de acuerdo. Las burbujas de información refuerzan creencias y predisposiciones ya existentes; d) el fenómeno se agrava en contextos de proximidad, es decir, la proximidad geográfica y temática proporcionada en los medios regionales, sea la proximidad temática y ideológica compartida en los grupos online. Apesar de ello, hay una diferencia entre los contextos de proximidad en comunidades tradicionales y los mecanismos de propaganda con fuerte índice de organización y movilización ideológica.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Lee

Purpose Since the end of 2016, “fake news” has had a clear meaning in the USA. After years of scholarship attempting to define “fake news” and where it fits among the larger schema of media hoaxing and deception, popular culture and even academic studies converged following the 2016 US presidential election to define “fake news” in drastically new ways. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In light of the recent elections in the USA, many fear “fake news” that have gradually become a powerful and sinister force, both in the news media environment as well as in the fair and free elections. The scenario draws into questions how the general public interacts with such outlets, and to what extent and in which ways individual responsibility should govern the interactions with social media. Findings Fake news is a growing threat to democratic elections in the USA and other democracies by relentless targeting of hyper-partisan views, which play to the fears and prejudices of people, in order to influence their voting plans and their behavior. Originality/value Essentially, “fake news” is changing and even distorting how political campaigns are run, ultimately calling into question legitimacy of elections, elected officials and governments. Scholarship has increasingly confirmed social media as an enabler of “fake news,” and continues to project its potentially negative impact on democracy, furthering the already existing practices of partisan selective exposure, as well as heightening the need for individual responsibility.


2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 785-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsahi Hayat ◽  
Tal Samuel-Azran ◽  
Yair Galily

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to analyses of the sport-politics nexus by identifying whether the demographics of Twitter followers of Al-Jazeera Sport in the USA (rebranded in 2014 as beIN USA) can be associated with a specific political orientation. Design/methodology/approach Based on selective exposure theory, which posits that people follow news sources that reinforce their existing views, the authors identify the news outlets followed by beIN Twitter followers. To put the findings in perspective, the authors compared the results to the news outlets followed by the Twitter followers of Al-Jazeera America, Al-Jazeera’s second US outlet. Next, to understand the nature of the beIN and Al-Jazeera America communities, the authors used social network analysis to analyze the distribution of retweets within these communities. Findings The analysis shows that whereas Al-Jazeera America Twitter followers follow significantly more liberal than conservative news outlets, beIN’s followers were not identified with a specific political orientation. Analysis of beIN’s followers’ retweets shows a greater degree of connectivity among beIN’s followers than among the followers of Al-Jazeera America, indicating a more connected social network. Research limitations/implications Findings indicate that beIN’s Twitter following is characterized by more diverse and more strongly connected audience than Al-Jazeera America on Twitter, highlighting sports as a non-politicized realm on Twitter. Practical implications For practitioners, the study illustrates that controversial non-western media networks such as Al-Jazeera can gain access to diverse populations in the West by operating in the sport realm rather than the news realm. Originality/value This study offers a pioneering indication of the extent of a sport-ethnocentrism nexus on Twitter.


2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A16-A16 ◽  
Author(s):  
N VAKIL ◽  
S TREML ◽  
M SHAW ◽  
R KIRBY

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Senokozlieva ◽  
Oliver Fischer ◽  
Gary Bente ◽  
Nicole Krämer

Abstract. TV news are essentially cultural phenomena. Previous research suggests that the often-overlooked formal and implicit characteristics of newscasts may be systematically related to culture-specific characteristics. Investigating these characteristics by means of a frame-by-frame content analysis is identified as a particularly promising methodological approach. To examine the relationship between culture and selected formal characteristics of newscasts, we present an explorative study that compares material from the USA, the Arab world, and Germany. Results indicate that there are many significant differences, some of which are in line with expectations derived from cultural specifics. Specifically, we argue that the number of persons presented as well as the context in which they are presented can be interpreted as indicators of Individualism/Collectivism. The conclusions underline the validity of the chosen methodological approach, but also demonstrate the need for more comprehensive and theory-driven category schemes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gino Casale ◽  
Robert J. Volpe ◽  
Brian Daniels ◽  
Thomas Hennemann ◽  
Amy M. Briesch ◽  
...  

Abstract. The current study examines the item and scalar equivalence of an abbreviated school-based universal screener that was cross-culturally translated and adapted from English into German. The instrument was designed to assess student behavior problems that impact classroom learning. Participants were 1,346 K-6 grade students from the US (n = 390, Mage = 9.23, 38.5% female) and Germany (n = 956, Mage = 8.04, 40.1% female). Measurement invariance was tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) across students from the US and Germany. Results support full scalar invariance between students from the US and Germany (df = 266, χ2 = 790.141, Δχ2 = 6.9, p < .001, CFI = 0.976, ΔCFI = 0.000, RMSEA = 0.052, ΔRMSEA = −0.003) indicating that the factor structure, the factor loadings, and the item thresholds are comparable across samples. This finding implies that a full cross-cultural comparison including latent factor means and structural coefficients between the US and the German version of the abbreviated screener is possible. Therefore, the tool can be used in German schools as well as for cross-cultural research purposes between the US and Germany.


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