The effects of message attributes and source characteristics of news posts on audience engagement on social media

ABSTRACT

Informed by the theoretical framework of media effects and resonance theory, this study investigates how issue obtrusiveness and information richness as message attributes, and media hierarchy and orientation as source characteristics influence audience engagement with news posts on social media. The data of news posts (N = 943,793) from the top 99 Sina Weibo accounts of Chinese media with likes, comments, and reposts as indicators of audience engagement were retrieved. Through multilevel modeling, the study finds that source characteristics exert stronger effects on audience engagement than message attributes, and the effects on comments differ from those on likes and reposts. The association between issue obtrusiveness and comments is stronger than that between obtrusiveness and likes/reposts. Posts of high information richness draw more audience engagement than posts of low information richness. Through their news posts, central-level media attract more engagement than local media. The implications of the findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Audience engagement
• obtrusiveness
• information richness
• media orientation
• media hierarchy

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Qihong Yan from Beijing Jiaotong University for her assistance with and contribution to data collection and analysis. The authors would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their constructive comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China: [Grant Number 20BXW008].

Notes on contributors

Linsen Su

Linsen Su (Ph.D., Renmin University of China, 2009) is Professor of Department of Communications, Beijing Jiaotong University. Dr. Su's research interest lies in the media-society interaction during digital transformation, media's role in shaping public opinion, and international communication.

Xigen Li

Xigen Li (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1999) is Distinguished Professor of School of Journalism and Communication, Shanghai University, and Chair professor of School of International Journalism and Communication, Beijing Foreign Studies University. Dr. Li's research focuses on impact of communication technology on mass communication, media use and communication behavior in the digital age, and health communication.