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ABSTRACT
Convergence has substantially changed the ways of news consumption and dissemination. This research represents one of the first attempts to examine Generation C’s multiplatform local news repertoires at both media source and audience levels. Results of the cluster analysis identified three types of local news sources – traditional local news sources, web location-independent news sources, and “push” news source, and suggested that local news organisations’ traditional, web, and social platforms appealed to Generation C audiences in a similar way. In addition, this study identified three types of audiences of local news – heavy local news seekers, determined location-independent news seekers, and light local news seekers, and found that both individual and structural factors significantly predicted the classification of the audience types. Managerial implications are provided for local newsroom operations.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. The seven statements used to measure motivations for Internet use are detailed below.Information motivation: “I use the Internet to look for information; to learn about unknown things; because it’s entertaining; because it’s enjoyable.”Social motivation: “I use the Internet to meet people with my interests; to express myself freely; and to social with others.”
2. The eight statements used to measure self-efficacy included: “I feel confident understanding terms/words relating to Internet hardware; I feel confident understanding terms/words relating to Internet software; I feel confident describing functions of Internet hardware; I feel confident trouble shooting Internet problems; I feel confident explaining why a task will not run on the Internet; I feel confident using the Internet to gather data; I feel confident learning advance skills within a specific Internet program; and I feel confident turning to an online discussion group when help is needed.”
3. The five statements used to measure habit strength included: “I use the Internet to pass time; I use the Internet when I have nothing better to do; I would miss the Internet if I could no longer go online; I find myself going online about the same time each day; and The Internet is part of my usual routine.”
4. The 21 statements used to measure Internet structures are detailed below.Bookmark: “Access a previously used site through a bookmark; Arrive at a web page by using a bookmark/favorites list; Choose a site through a bookmark; and Use a bookmark/favorites list to access a web page.”Recommendation systems: “Choose a web site based on average ratings of the site; Use recommendation systems to select a web page (e.g. most viewed list, thumbs up/down); Use the popularity indications to select a web page; and Choose recommended web content that people with similar tastes and preferences liked.”Search: “Start navigation with a search engine; Choose from search results; Use search; and Employ a search engine to find sites.”Advertising: “Click on banner ads; Click on a sponsored ad links; and Click on web advertising.” Portal Sites: “Click on links on portal sites; Visit sites that catalog web content; and Turn to portal sites for selecting what content to view.”History: “Use a link accessed through the ‘history feature’ button; Pull down the address bar and select a web address I had visited earlier; and Click on ‘history’ button to return quickly to a previously-visited page.”
5. The figures of scree plot for cluster analyses are available upon request.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Tang Tang
Tang Tang (Ph.D., Ohio University) is an Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the School of Communication at the University of Akron. Her research interests include audience research, media management, and the impact of new communication technologies.
Chih-Hui Lai
Chih-Hui Lai (Ph.D., Rutgers University) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Technology at National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. Her research interests focus on the intersection of online and offline modes of communication in interpersonal, group, organisational, and community contexts.