Incidental News: How Young People Consume News on Social Media

This paper examines the dynamics of news consumption on social media through sixteen open-ended interviews with young users from Argentina. It adopts a texto-material perspective to explore the role of technology and users’ motivations, actions and interpretations. The interviews reveal that the ideal-typical mode in which young users consume news on social media can be characterized with the notion of “incidental news”: most young users get the news on their mobile devices as part of their constant connection to media platforms; they encounter the news all the time, rather than looking for it; but click on them only sporadically and spend little time engaging with the content. Thus, the news becomes un-differentiated from the rest of the social and entertainment information. This mode of news access marks a significant discontinuity with the consumption of news on other media. It also raises major editorial and political implications

Mobile News Service Adoption Framework: Insights from South Africa

The proliferation of digital news means that consumer can access news services via mobile services. Mobile news services (MNS) can support consumers in acquiring and sharing news content. The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical framework that articulates factors influencing the adoption of MNS by citizens, in this case of South Africa. This study considers theoretical evidences and provides new empirical evidence to extend theoretical understanding. Multiple interpretive case studies were conducted to confirm and identify factors and relationships that could influence adoption of MNS. Subsequently quantitative analysis supported the identified relationships influencing the adoption of MNS. The proposed MNS adoption model offers new interpretive and sociomaterial insights into the adoption of MNS, encompassing both personal and social factors, attributes of news consumers and attributes of innovation

Motif Khalayak dalam Mengakses Konten Berita di Instagram Reels @narasinewsroom

Instagram memiliki banyak fitur, salah satunya adalah fitur Instagram Reels yang kini menjadi cara penyebaran berita dalam format multimedia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui motif khalayak dalam mengakses konten berita di Instagram Reels @narasinewsroom dengan menggunakan teori uses and gratifications 2.0 yang memiliki tipologi Model MAIN (Modality, Agency, Interactivity dan Navigability) oleh Sundar Limperos (2013). Dengan menggunakan metode survei deskriptif, peneliti mengolah data dari 348 responden yang tergabung dalam audiens Instagram @narasinewsroom. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa motif navigabilitas menjadi alasan paling kuat yang mendorong khalayak untuk mengkonsumsi media karena merasa dapat menjelajahi semua informasi yang ada di Instagram Reels @narasinewsroom dan memiliki keleluasaan dalam bernavigasi di platform tersebut. Disusul motif interaktivitas di urutan kedua, motif modalitas di urutan ketiga, dan motif agensi di urutan terakhir. Selain itu, temuan ini juga menyimpulkan bahwa fitur-fitur yang ada di Instagram yaitu Instagram Reels mampu memenuhi motif audiens ketika mengakses berita di Instagram.   Instagram has numerous features, one of which is the Instagram Reels feature, now utilized as a means to distribute news in a multimedia format. This study aims to determine audience motives for accessing news content on Instagram Reels @narasinewsroom, employing The Uses and Gratifications 2.0 theory, which incorporates the MAIN Model (Modality, Agency, Interactivity, and Navigability) developed by Sundar Limperos (2013). Using a descriptive survey method, researchers processed data from 348 respondents who comprise the audience of Instagram @narasinewsroom. The study's results indicate that the navigability motive is the most potent reason that encourages audiences to consume the media, as they feel capable of exploring all the information on Instagram Reels @narasinewsroom and enjoy flexibility when navigating the platform. Interactivity motives rank second, followed by modality motives in third place, and agency motives in last place. Additionally, this finding concludes that Instagram's features, particularly Instagram Reels, effectively fulfill audience motives when accessing news on the platform

Digital Transformation of Croatian Newspapers: Analyzing Evolving Perspectives of Readers over a Five-Year Period

The digital transformation has revolutionized the media industry, reshaping the way news is consumed and challenging the dominance of traditional printed publications. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, it is crucial to examine the evolving landscape of news publishing and understand the preferences and behaviors of readers in the context of digital and printed newspaper formats. This research article presents a comparative analysis of reader opinions on a significant Croatian e-publication over a five-year period, aiming to explore the impact of digital transformation on readers` perceptions, engagement, and preferences between online and traditional printed content. By delving into the advantages, challenges, and trends associated with e-publications and printed editions, this study provides valuable insights into the dynamic relationship between readers and news publications in the digital era

Why do people access news with mobile devices? Exploring the role of suitability perception and motives on mobile news use

Using self-reported survey data (N = 281), the present study explores the structural relationships among mobile users\u27 perceptions of the suitability of two types of mobile news (political feature news and entertainment news), users\u27 motivations for mobile news usage, and their behavioral patterns. Our findings show that two types of perceived suitability for mobile news, particularly for political feature news, are strongly associated with all dimensions of motivations for mobile news usage. Furthermore, as predicted, our findings show that the information-seeking motive is the very factor that determines mobile news usage. The results also reveal that the accessibility motive mediates the relationship between the perceived suitability of obtaining news via a mobile device and users\u27 mobile news behavior. However, contrary to our expectation, the social utility motive does not mediate the relationship between users\u27 perceptions of the suitability of mobile devices for this purpose and their mobile news usage. Finally, the information-seeking and accessibility motives each have an indirect effect on the association between perceived suitability and mobile news usage. The implications of the study and recommendations for future research are also discussed

Digital divide at individual level : evidence for eastern and western european countries

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Statistics and Information Management, specialization in Information Analysis and ManagementThe current study explores the digital divide by checking the phenomenon at the individual level. It digs into the individual pattern of adoption and use of a broad set of information and communications technologies (ICTs) by introducing a conceptual model combining the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) and the five-factor model of personality. Therefore, it provides insights on factors affecting technology adoption and the role of personality on individual usage behavior. Most of the UTAUT2 hypotheses are supported, with performance expectancy being the strongest predictor. Openness is a significant predictor of behavioral intention, whereas for usage behavior the significant personality predictors are openness, extraversion and agreeableness. Moreover, as data was collected in Bulgaria and Portugal, a multi-group analysis revealed significant country differences. The effect of performance expectancy, habit, agreeableness and neuroticism on behavioral intention, as well as the effect of age on usage, are stronger for Bulgaria, whereas the effect of hedonic motivation on behavioral intention and the effect of behavioral intention on usage are stronger for Portugal

Evidence for Eastern and Western European countries

Chipeva, P., Cruz-Jesus, F., Oliveira, T., & Irani, Z. (2018). Digital divide at individual level: Evidence for Eastern and Western European countries. Government Information Quarterly, 35(3), 460-479. DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2018.06.003The current study explores the digital divide by checking the phenomenon at the individual level. It digs into the individual pattern of adoption and use of a broad set of information and communications technologies (ICT) by introducing a conceptual model combining the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) and the five-factor model of personality. By doing so it provides insights on factors affecting technology adoption and the role of personality on individual usage behavior. Most of the UTAUT2 hypotheses are supported, with performance expectancy being the strongest predictor. Openness is a significant predictor of behavioral intention, whereas for usage behavior the significant personality predictors are openness, extraversion, and agreeableness. Moreover, as data were collected in Bulgaria and Portugal, a multi-group analysis revealed significant country differences. The effect of performance expectancy, habit, agreeableness, and neuroticism on behavioral intention, as well as the effect of age on usage, are stronger for Bulgaria, whereas the effect of hedonic motivation on behavioral intention and the effect of behavioral intention on usage are stronger for Portugal.authorsversionpublishe

Smartphones

Many of the research approaches to smartphones actually regard them as more or less transparent points of access to other kinds of communication experiences. That is, rather than considering the smartphone as something in itself, the researchers look at how individuals use the smartphone for their communicative purposes, whether these be talking, surfing the web, using on-line data access for off-site data sources, downloading or uploading materials, or any kind of interaction with social media. They focus not so much on the smartphone itself but on the activities that people engage in with their smartphones

Small Business Crisis Management Strategies

The absence of adequate crisis management strategies in small firms could result in a premature small business closure. A qualitative multiple-case study was used to explore the crisis management strategies that 3 small business owners have used to survive an unexpected operational interruption. The small business owners in this study were from different industries in the southeast region of the United States and each owner owned a business for more than 5 years and had survived at least a single crisis. The theory of crisis management and crisis intervention theory were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data collection occurred through semistructured face-to-face interviews with small business owners; observations; and a review of company documents comprised of business plans, insurance policies, floor plans, and emergency exit routes. Data were thematically analyzed and then triangulated to ensure trustworthiness of interpretations. The findings included 3 emergent themes: the importance of developing survival strategies; transparency, open communication, and relationship building; and creative thinking as a survival strategy. Recommendations for action include securing adequate insurance coverage, investing in a worker\u27s compensation policy, and maintaining transparent and fluent communications with vendors and consumers. Small business owners who implement survival strategies may contribute to positive social change by continuing to create employment opportunities that improve economic conditions in local communities