What the Metrics Say. The Softening of News on the Facebook Pages of Mainstream Media Outlets

Bibliographic Data

ID22010932
AuthorsKenza Lamot (0000-0002-6945-0435, University of Antwerp, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume10
Issue4
Pages517-536
Publication date2022-04-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDigital Journalism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2167-0811 • E-ISSN: 2167-082X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21670811.2021.1974917
OpenAlexW3200062110
LanguageEN
Citations received52
References cited68

The contemporary high-choice media environment, characterized by information abundance, makes it increasingly difficult for media outlets to capture audience attention. This concern is particularly pressing for social media, and more specifically for Facebook. Because user engagement is a crucial input factor for the algorithm, fears have risen that journalistic content on digital news media and especially on social media is becoming softer to help adjust to news consumer’s interests. A content analysis was conducted on four consecutive weeks of all news items published online by five market-leading Belgian media outlets (N = 10,579) in order to analyse whether the news supply is adapted to “what the metrics say” and, subsequently, to what extent that metric data is used to promote a “softer” supply of news on Facebook. To measure audience engagement, we used unique metrics provided by the news organizations themselves. The results show that audience metrics support and enhance news softening on the Facebook pages of mainstream media outlets

Advertising · Business · Internet privacy · Mainstream · Media relations · Political science · Social media · Social media optimization · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics

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