U.S. Newspaper Editors’ Ratings of Social Media as Influential News Sources

Authors

  • Masahiro Yamamoto University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Seungahn Nah University of Kentucky
  • Deborah Chung University of Kentucky

Keywords:

citizen journalism, credibility, newspaper editors, social media, structural pluralism

Abstract

Social media, as one key platform for citizen journalism, are becoming a useful news-gathering tool for journalists. Based on data from a nationwide probability sample of newspaper editors in the United States, this study investigates the extent to which newspaper editors consider social media an influential news source. Results show that variations in editors’ ratings of social media as a news source were related to multiple levels of influence, including professional journalistic experience, organization size, community structural pluralism, and citizen journalism credibility. Implications are discussed for the roles of social media in news production.

Author Biographies

Masahiro Yamamoto, University at Albany, State University of New York

Masahiro Yamamoto (PhD, Washington State University, 2012) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University at Albany, State University of New York. His research interests include communication in community contexts, civic and political participation, and social media. His work has appeared in such journals as Communication Research, Journalismm& Mass Communication Quarterly, Mass Communication & Society, and New Media & Society.

Seungahn Nah, University of Kentucky

Seungahn Nah (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2006) is an Associate Professor of Community Communication in the Department of Community and Leadership Development, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Kentucky. His research centers on the interrelationships among communication, community, and democracy with special emphasis on the roles of digital communication technologies in community and democratic processes and outcomes. His work has appeared in such journals as Journal of Communication, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, New Media & Society, Mass Communication & Society, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism among others.

Deborah Chung, University of Kentucky

Deborah S. Chung (PhD, Indiana University-Bloomington, 2004) is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky. Her research primarily focuses on how emergent information communication technologies impact the relationships between communication professionals and their audiences. Her work has appeared in Mass Communication & Society, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Journal of Mass Media Ethnics, Journalism Practice, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism among others.

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Published

2017-02-14

Issue

Vol. 11 (2017)

Section

Articles

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