Testing the Role of Inspirational and Crime News Use in Self-Report Empathic Concern and Helping

Authors

  • Chun Yang Louisiana State University
  • Masahiro Yamamoto University at Albany, SUNY

Keywords:

crime news, inspirational news, helping, empathic concern, personal distress

Abstract

The present study integrates consumption of two types of news, inspirational and crime news, into the empathy-helping framework. Data from an online survey of Japanese adults show that inspirational news use has a positive relationship with self-report helping at a later point in time. Data also indicate that inspirational news use does not have a significant link with empathic concern and personal distress reported by respondents. Rather, self-report empathic concern has a positive cross-lagged relationship with both perceived inspirational news use and crime news use. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Author Biographies

Chun Yang, Louisiana State University

Assistant ProfessorDarlene and Thomas O. Ryder ProfessorManship School of Mass CommunicationLouisiana State University 250 Hodges Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USAPhone: 225-578-2155

Masahiro Yamamoto, University at Albany, SUNY

Associate ProfessorDepartment of CommunicationUniversity at Albany, SUNYSS 331, Albany, NY 12222, USAPhone: 518-442-4881

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Published

2023-05-14

Issue

Vol. 17 (2023)

Section

Articles

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