Research Question
How do social media companies’ control over news content affect its diversity and quality, and what steps can be taken to foster a balanced news ecosystem on these platforms?
Annotated Bibliography
Fletcher, Richard, Antonis Kalogeropoulos, and Rasmus Kleis Nielsen. “More Diverse, More Politically Varied: How Social Media, Search Engines and Aggregators Shape News Repertoires in the United Kingdom.” New Media & Society, vol. 25, no. 8, 2023, pp. 2118-2139. Web.
The authors, who are experts in the field of media and communications, investigate how the use of search engines, social media, and aggregators influences the diversity of news that people consume in the UK. They claim that these platforms lead to more diverse and politically varied news repertoires but also to the prominence of partisan outlets. This conclusion is drawn from an analysis of passive web tracking data. The findings counter the filter bubble narrative and suggest that while these platforms contribute to news diversity, they also facilitate the spread of partisan content, which is crucial for understanding how to foster a balanced news ecosystem.
Levy, Ro’ee. “Social Media, News Consumption, and Polarization: Evidence From a Field Experiment.” American Economic Review, vol. 111, no. 3, 2021, pp. 831-870. Web.
Levy, an author with an economic perspective, addresses the intersection of social media and news consumption, particularly its influence on political polarization. The research presented in the article claims that social media news consumption significantly affects the political slant of the news sites individuals visit. Levy backs this claim by employing a large field experiment that manipulated exposure to conservative or liberal news outlets on Facebook. A consequential finding is that social media algorithms may restrict exposure to counter-attitudinal news, potentially increasing polarization. The relevance of this claim to the inquiry is in highlighting the role of algorithmic curation in shaping news diversity and the necessity of considering such mechanisms when aiming to enhance the balance in the news ecosystem.
Majerczak, Przemysław, and Artur Strzelecki. “Trust, Media Credibility, Social Ties, and the Intention to Share Towards Information Verification in an Age of Fake News.” Behavioral Sciences, vol. 12, no. 2, 2022, p. 51. Web.
The authors, delving into the social psychology behind information dissemination, examine how Polish society perceives and interacts with fake news on social media. They claim that awareness of fake news and the intention to share information significantly influence the behavior of verifying news content online. A structural equation modeling analysis supports this claim. The study’s relevance to the research question is evident as it underscores the importance of user literacy and intentionality in combating the spread of misinformation and maintaining a quality news environment on social media.
Park, Sora, and Jee Young Lee. “Incidental News Exposure on Facebook and Its Relation to Trust in News.” Social Media+ Society, vol. 9, no. 1, 2023. Web.
Park and Lee, researchers in the field of media and communication, focus on incidental exposure to news on Facebook and its implications for trust in news. They claim that while general confidence in information is not affected by whether exposure is incidental or intentional, there is a negative relationship between accidental exposure and trust in news on social media. This claim is supported by analyzing Facebook news users across three countries. The relevance of this finding to inquiry lies in the insight that user engagement with news on social media—whether active or passive—can influence trust levels, which in turn affects the perceived quality of news.
Pérez-Escoda, Ana, et al. “Fake News Reaching Young People on Social Networks: Distrust Challenging Media Literacy.” Publications, vol. 9, no. 2, 2021, p. 24. Web.
The authors, focusing on Generation Z in Spain, examine the relationship between young people’s social network use and their perception of fake news. They find a significant distrust among this demographic towards the reliability of social media news. This claim is substantiated through a survey. The importance of this study to your question lies in the observation that distrust and media literacy are pivotal in shaping the news consumption habits of young users. This factor must be addressed to ensure a balanced and trustworthy news ecosystem on social media platforms.
Tian, Qiuxia. “Impact of Social Media News Overload on Social Media News Avoidance and Filtering: Moderating Effect of Media Literacy.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 2022. Web.
Tian, exploring the phenomenon of information overload, discusses the impact of excessive social media news on user behaviors such as avoidance and filtering. The claim is that news overload significantly affects news avoidance and filtering behavior, with media literacy playing a moderating role. The study uses structural equation modeling to analyze survey data from Chinese social media users. For inquiry, the study’s relevance is twofold: it points to the challenges of news diversity in the face of information overload. It underscores the critical role of media literacy in managing this overload to maintain a quality news ecosystem.