Accidentally informed: Incidental news exposure on the world wide web

Journalism and Mass Communication Quaterly

Volumn 78, Issue 3, 2001, Pages 533-554

  Tewksbury, David ^a   Weaver, Andrew J ^a   Maddex, Brett D ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA CHAMPAIGN   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0035649316     PISSN: 10776990     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/107769900107800309     Document Type: Article

References (66)

1. John Stuart Mill, "Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion," in Utilitarianism, On Liberty, and Considerations of Representative Government, ed. Harry Acton (London: J.M. Dent, [1859] 1972).
2. For a different perspective, see Michael Schudson, The Good Citizen: A History of American Civic Life (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998).
3. Harold D. Lasswell, "The Structure and Function of Communication in Society," in Mass Communications, ed. Wilbur Schramm (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1960), 117-30.
4. For reviews see Doris Graber, Mass Media and American Politics, 5th ed. (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1997); Steven H. Chaffee and Stacey F. Kanihan, "Learning About Politics from the Mass Media," Political Communication 14 (October-December 1997): 421-30.
5. For reviews see Doris Graber, Mass Media and American Politics, 5th ed. (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1997); Steven H. Chaffee and Stacey F. Kanihan, "Learning About Politics from the Mass Media," Political Communication 14 (October-December 1997): 421-30.
6. For examples see Charles Atkin, "Instrumental Utilities and Information Seeking," in New Models for Mass Communication Research, ed. Peter Clark (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1973); Mark R. Levy and Sven Windahl, "Audience Activity and Gratifications: A Conceptual Clarification and Exploration," Communication Research 11 (January 1984): 51-78.
7. For examples see Charles Atkin, "Instrumental Utilities and Information Seeking," in New Models for Mass Communication Research, ed. Peter Clark (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1973); Mark R. Levy and Sven Windahl, "Audience Activity and Gratifications: A Conceptual Clarification and Exploration," Communication Research 11 (January 1984): 51-78.
8. Pew Research Center, The Internet News Audience Goes Ordinary: Online Newcomers More Middle-Brow, Less Work-Oriented (Washington, DC: Author, 1999).
9. Atkin, "Instrumental Utilities and Information Seeking"; Richard C. Vincent and Michael D. Basil, "College Students' News Gratifications, Media Use, and Current Events Knowledge," Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 41 (summer 1997): 380-92.
10. Michael Gurevitch and Jay G. Blumler, "Political Communication Systems and Democratic Values," in Democracy and the Mass Media, ed. Judith Lichtenberg (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 269-89; Lasswell, "The Structure and Function of Communication in Society," 117-30.
11. Michael Gurevitch and Jay G. Blumler, "Political Communication Systems and Democratic Values," in Democracy and the Mass Media, ed. Judith Lichtenberg (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 269-89; Lasswell, "The Structure and Function of Communication in Society," 117-30.
12. Dan Berkowitz and David Pritchard, "Political Knowledge and Communication Resources," Journalism Quarterly 66 (autumn 1989): 697-701; Hugh M. Culbertson and Guido H. Stempel III, "How Media Use and Reliance Affect Knowledge Level," Communication Research 13 (October 1986): 579-602.
13. Dan Berkowitz and David Pritchard, "Political Knowledge and Communication Resources," Journalism Quarterly 66 (autumn 1989): 697-701; Hugh M. Culbertson and Guido H. Stempel III, "How Media Use and Reliance Affect Knowledge Level," Communication Research 13 (October 1986): 579-602.
14. John P. Robinson and Mark R. Levy, "News Media Use and the Informed Public: A 1990's Update," Journal of Communication 46 (spring 1996): 129-35.
15. Jay G. Blumler and Denis McQuail, Television and Politics: Its Uses and Influences (Chicago: University of Chicago, 1969).
16. Herbert E. Krugman and Eugene L. Hartley, "Passive Learning Through Television," Public Opinion Quarterly 34 (summer 1970), 184-90.
17. Cliff Zukin and Robin Snyder, "Passive Learning: When the Media Environment is the Message," Public Opinion Quarterly 48 (autumn 1984): 629-38.
18. John P. Robinson and Mark R. Levy, The Main Source: Learning from Television News (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1986).
19. C. Edward Wilson, "The Effect of Medium on Loss of Information," Journalism Quarterly 51 (spring 1974): 115; W. Russell Neuman, "Patterns of Recall Among Television News Viewers," Public Opinion Quarterly 40 (spring 1976): 115-23.
20. C. Edward Wilson, "The Effect of Medium on Loss of Information," Journalism Quarterly 51 (spring 1974): 115; W. Russell Neuman, "Patterns of Recall Among Television News Viewers," Public Opinion Quarterly 40 (spring 1976): 115-23.
21. Doris Graber, Processing the News: How People Tame the Information Tide, 2d ed. (New York, NY: Longman, 1988).
22. Robert H. Wicks, "Improvement Over Time in Recall of Media Information: An Exploratory Study," Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 36 (summer 1992): 287-302.
23. Chaffee and Kanihan, "Learning About Politics"; Berkowitz and Pritchard, "Political Knowledge."
24. Chaffee and Kanihan, "Learning About Politics"; Berkowitz and Pritchard, "Political Knowledge."
25. Robinson and Levy, "News Media Use."
26. Zukin and Snyder, "Passive Learning."
27. Mickie Edwardson, Kurt Kent, and Maeve McConnell, "Television News Information Gain: Videotex Versus a Talking Head," Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 29 (fall 1985): 367-78; Doris Graber, "Seeing is Remembering: How Visuals Contribute to Learning from Television News," Journal of Communication 40 (summer 1990): 134-55.
28. Mickie Edwardson, Kurt Kent, and Maeve McConnell, "Television News Information Gain: Videotex Versus a Talking Head," Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 29 (fall 1985): 367-78; Doris Graber, "Seeing is Remembering: How Visuals Contribute to Learning from Television News," Journal of Communication 40 (summer 1990): 134-55.
29. See, for example, Alan Booth, "The Recall of News Items," Public Opinion Quarterly 34 (winter 1970-1971): 604-10.
30. Melvin L. DeFleur, Lucinda Davenport, Mary Cronin, and Margaret DeFleur, "Audience Recall of News Stories Presented by Newspaper, Computer, Television, and Radio," Journalism Quarterly 69 (winter 1992): 1010-22.
31. Christopher Harper, "The Daily Me," American Journalism Review 19 (April 1997): 41-44.
32. Thomas J. Johnson, Mahmoud A. M. Braima, and Jayanthi Sothirajah, "Doing the Traditional Media Sidestep: Comparing the Effects of the Internet and Other Nontraditional Media with Traditional Media in the 1996 Presidential Campaign," Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 76 (spring 1999): 99-123.
33. Andrew Kohut, "Internet Users are on the Rise; but Public Affairs Interest Isn't," Columbia Journalism Review 38 (January/February 2000): 68-69.
34. Elihu Katz, Jay G. Blumler, and Micheal Gurevitch, "Utilization of Mass Communication by the Individual," in The Uses of Mass Communications: Current Perspectives on Gratifications Research, ed. Jay G. Blumler and Elihu Katz (Beverly Hills: Sage, 1974), 19-32.
35. Douglas A. Ferguson and Elizabeth M. Perse, "The World Wide Web as a Functional Alternative to Television," Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 44 (spring 2000): 155-74; Andrew Flanigan and Miriam J. Metzger, "Internet Use in the Contemporary Media Environment," Human Communication Research 27 (January 2001): 153-81; Zizi Papacharissi and Alan M. Rubin, "Predictors of Internet Use," Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 44 (spring 2000): 175-96.
36. Douglas A. Ferguson and Elizabeth M. Perse, "The World Wide Web as a Functional Alternative to Television," Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 44 (spring 2000): 155-74; Andrew Flanigan and Miriam J. Metzger, "Internet Use in the Contemporary Media Environment," Human Communication Research 27 (January 2001): 153-81; Zizi Papacharissi and Alan M. Rubin, "Predictors of Internet Use," Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 44 (spring 2000): 175-96.
37. Douglas A. Ferguson and Elizabeth M. Perse, "The World Wide Web as a Functional Alternative to Television," Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 44 (spring 2000): 155-74; Andrew Flanigan and Miriam J. Metzger, "Internet Use in the Contemporary Media Environment," Human Communication Research 27 (January 2001): 153-81; Zizi Papacharissi and Alan M. Rubin, "Predictors of Internet Use," Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 44 (spring 2000): 175-96.
38. Papacharissi and Rubin, "Predictors of Internet Use." It is important to note that Internet use is not necessarily the same as World Wide Web use. Web content, after all, is merely a subset of Internet traffic.
39. See, for example, Kohut, "Internet Users are on the Rise."
40. "Study Reveals Web as Loosely Woven," New York Times, 18 May 2000, sec. G, p. 8, col. 1.
41. David Tewksbury and Scott L. Althaus, "Differences in Knowledge Acquisition Among Readers of the Paper and Online Versions of a National Newspaper," Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 77 (autumn 2000): 457-79.
42. Kohut, "Internet Users are on the Rise."
43. Ferguson and Perse, "The World Wide Web as a Functional Alternative."
44. Herbert E. Krugman, "The Impact of Television Advertising: Learning Without Involvement," Public Opinion Quarterly 29 (autumn 1965): 349-56.
45. Zukin and Snyder, "Passive Learning."
46. Graber, Processing the News.
47. Matthew Broersma, "Net Giants Battle for Portal Dominance," ZDNN (Online): available at http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ news, accessed July 1999; Matthew Broersma, "You've Got E-Mail! Portals Hungry for Piece of Growing E-Commerce Pie," ZDNN (Online) : available at http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/ 0,4586,2163823,00.html; accessed July 1999.
48. Matthew Broersma, "Net Giants Battle for Portal Dominance," ZDNN (Online): available at http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ news, accessed July 1999; Matthew Broersma, "You've Got E-Mail! Portals Hungry for Piece of Growing E-Commerce Pie," ZDNN (Online) : available at http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/ 0,4586,2163823,00.html; accessed July 1999.
49. Broersma, "Net Giants Battle."
50. Nielson//Net Ratings, "Monthly Top Ten Properties" (Online): Available at http://209.249.142.27/nnpm/owa/ Nrpublicreports.toppropertiesmonthly, accessed May 2001.
51. Nielson//Net Ratings, "Monthly Top Ten Properties"; Media Metrix, "Top 10 Stickiest sites in November 2000; Average Minutes Spent Per Usage Month," (Online): available at http:// us.mediametrix.com/data/metrixcentral.jsp; accessed May 2001.
52. Graber, Processing the News; Wicks, "Improvement Over Time."
53. Graber, Processing the News; Wicks, "Improvement Over Time."
54. Scott L. Althaus and David Tewksbury, "Patterns of Internet and Traditional News Media Use in a Networked Community," Political Communication 17 (January-March 2000): 21-45.
55. Given that the Internet and the World Wide Web a re not entirely synonymous, it is important to note that the Pew Center surveys generally asked respondents about things they do when they "go online" (see Appendix for question wording). It is unlikely that many Americans are aware of the differences between using the Internet and the Web, so the Pew Center may have used "going online" as a simple umbrella term. Because of popular ambiguity of the terminology, we believe there is an adequate, though not perfect, fit between Web use patterns and the Pew Center measures.
56. Robinson and Levy, "News Media Use."
57. The Pew Center provides a demographic weighting variable with each of its data sets. Such a variable can be useful for descriptive analyses. However, application of the weight to the data dramatically increases the apparent size of each sample, which can seriously affect the significance levels of regression coefficients. Consequently, the weighting factor will not be applied in the analyses reported here.
58. In the 1996 survey, the news gathering question is the same item described above as online news use.
59. For nominal-by-interval analyses of this sort, eta is equivalent to a Pearson product moment correlation. Although etas do not carry a significance level, a correlation of this magnitude for a sample of this size would be significant at the .001 level.
60. The self-report item was the only incidental exposure measure appropriate for these bivariate analyses. Overall online use frequency should be a measure of incidental exposure only after the removal of variance shared with online news seeking. Multivariate tests will wait for the analyses that follow.
61. Pew Research Center, The Internet News Audience.
62. Broersma, "Net Giants Battle."
63. America Online, the most frequently visited Web site on the Internet (Nielsen/ /NetRatings, "Monthly Top Ten Properties"), did not post news headlines to its home page until after the 1996 general election (John W. Mashek, Lawrence T. McGill, and Adam Clayton Powell III, Lethargy '96: How the Media Covered a Listless Campaign [Arlington, VA: The Freedom Forum, 1997]).
64. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Investors Now Go Online for Quotes, Advice; Internet Sapping Broadcast News Audience (Washington, DC: Author, 2000).
65. Vincent Price and John Zaller, "Who Gets the News? Alternative Measures of News Reception and Their Implications for Research," Public Opinion Quarterly 57 (summer 1993): 133-64.
66. Bernard Berelson, "Democratic Theory and Public Opinion," Public Opinion Quarterly 16 (autumn 1952): 313-30.