Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds

Debates about post-truth need to take into account how news re-disseminates in a hybrid media system in which social networks and audience participation play a central role. Hence, there is a certain risk of reducing citizens’ exposure to politically adverse news content, creating ‘echo chambers’ of...

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Main Authors: Pere Masip, Jaume Suau, Carlos Ruiz-Caballero
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cogitatio 2020-10-01
Series:Media and Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3146
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author Pere Masip
Jaume Suau
Carlos Ruiz-Caballero
author_facet Pere Masip
Jaume Suau
Carlos Ruiz-Caballero
author_sort Pere Masip
collection DOAJ
description Debates about post-truth need to take into account how news re-disseminates in a hybrid media system in which social networks and audience participation play a central role. Hence, there is a certain risk of reducing citizens’ exposure to politically adverse news content, creating ‘echo chambers’ of political affinity. This article presents the results of research conducted in agreement with 18 leading Spanish online news media, based on a survey (N = 6625) of their registered users. The results highlight that high levels of selective exposure that are a characteristic of offline media consumption are being moderated in the online realm. Although most of the respondents get news online from like-minded media, the figures related to those who also get news from media with a different media ideology should not be underestimated. As news consumption is becoming more ‘social,’ our research points out that Spanish citizens who are more active on social media sites are more likely to be exposed to news content from different ideological positions than those who are less active users. There is a weak association between the use of a particular social network site and gaining access to like- and non-like-minded news.
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spelling doaj.art-669c512867004c7f9e55475fd7c127412022-12-22T00:50:37ZengCogitatioMedia and Communication2183-24392020-10-0184536210.17645/mac.v8i4.31461647Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News FeedsPere Masip0Jaume Suau1Carlos Ruiz-Caballero2Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, SpainBlanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, SpainBlanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, SpainDebates about post-truth need to take into account how news re-disseminates in a hybrid media system in which social networks and audience participation play a central role. Hence, there is a certain risk of reducing citizens’ exposure to politically adverse news content, creating ‘echo chambers’ of political affinity. This article presents the results of research conducted in agreement with 18 leading Spanish online news media, based on a survey (N = 6625) of their registered users. The results highlight that high levels of selective exposure that are a characteristic of offline media consumption are being moderated in the online realm. Although most of the respondents get news online from like-minded media, the figures related to those who also get news from media with a different media ideology should not be underestimated. As news consumption is becoming more ‘social,’ our research points out that Spanish citizens who are more active on social media sites are more likely to be exposed to news content from different ideological positions than those who are less active users. There is a weak association between the use of a particular social network site and gaining access to like- and non-like-minded news.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3146incidental exposurenews consumptionpolarizationselective exposuresocial mediaspain
spellingShingle Pere Masip
Jaume Suau
Carlos Ruiz-Caballero
Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds
Media and Communication
incidental exposure
news consumption
polarization
selective exposure
social media
spain
title Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds
title_full Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds
title_fullStr Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds
title_full_unstemmed Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds
title_short Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds
title_sort incidental exposure to non like minded news through social media opposing voices in echo chambers news feeds
topic incidental exposure
news consumption
polarization
selective exposure
social media
spain
url https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3146
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AT jaumesuau incidentalexposuretononlikemindednewsthroughsocialmediaopposingvoicesinechochambersnewsfeeds
AT carlosruizcaballero incidentalexposuretononlikemindednewsthroughsocialmediaopposingvoicesinechochambersnewsfeeds