Mapping Mediamorphosis: How Print Newspaper Circulation Influences Features of Audience Participation at Online News Sites
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MAPPING MEDIAMORPHOSIS: HOW PRINT NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION INFLUENCES FEATURES OF AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AT ONLINE NEWS SITES Glenn Ward Scott A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Chapel Hill 2006 Approved by: Advisor: Robert L. Stevenson Reader: Jan Bardsley Reader: Frank E. Fee Jr. Reader: Barbara Friedman Reader: Paul Jones @ 2006 Glenn Ward Scott ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Glenn Ward Scott: Mapping Mediamorphosis: How Print Newspaper Circulation Influences Features of Audience Participation at Online News Sites (Under the direction of Robert L. Stevenson) This quantitative research study explores questions about why and how U.S. daily newspapers are adapting as the traditional print medium moves into the revolutionary new realm of digitization of content and delivery systems. It explores mass communication theories on media technology change and relies on Roger Fidler’s (1997) conception of a mediamorphosis, in which older media change in order to avoid obsolescence. The study asks how newspapers’ performance in circulation relates to the their shift toward embracing digital practices, specifically a willingness to invite more of a two-way flow of information between journalists and audience members. The study looks at a randomly selected sample of 195 daily U.S. newspapers with paid circulations of 14,000 or more. The research design involves three distinct methodological steps. The first draws upon industry data to calculate newspapers’ individual performances in maintaining a base of subscribers for their print versions. The second applies a content analysis of the Web sites of the sample to explore the extent of activity online as newspapers provide opportunities for audience members to participate in the creation of content by posting comments and images, a practice unique to the digital landscape. The third quantitative step correlates the two data sets to shed light on the process of mediamorphosis. The study also inspects the uses of various types of iii participatory features and provides examples from several sites. The data was gathered in 2004 and offers both a snapshot of this transitional period as well as baseline information for future studies. The study found a slight but statistically significant negative correlation, suggesting that as newspapers’ performance declined in circulation, organizations were shifting to provide more online features that promoted user participation. But few newspaper sites were moving quickly. On average, newspapers featured a single kind of structure promoting audience response, such as a discussion forum or spaces for comments at the end of stories. Trends (such as blogging), new literature, and recent practices indicate that this morphing will accelerate in the near future, prompting online editors to adopt more elastic forms of professional gatekeeping. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many generous people deserve my gratitude for their inspiration, advice, and support in the preparation of this work. I will start with members of the Triad Foundation for funding my three-year fellowship with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Without the foundation’s support, my mid-career return to the academy never would have occurred. I owe many thanks to the talented members of the UNC faculty and staff, whose guidance and patience is reflected in this work. Among them are Ruth Walden, Tom Bowers, Cindy Anderson, Philip Meyer, Pat Curtain, Donald Shaw, Cathie Packer, Anne Johnston, Lois Boynton, and visiting professor Christine Ogan from Indiana University. As for matters of inspiration and opportunity, I am forever indebted to Daniel W.Y. Kwok and the late Robert Sakai, emeritus history professors at the University of Hawai’i, for providing my chance to return to university life to renew my academic passions through a splendid one-year fellowship n Asian Studies. I am grateful to people in leadership roles at Elon University for their support as I completed this dissertation while an Elon instructor. Many thanks to Paul Parsons, dean of the School of Communications, and also to current and past administrators Connie Book, Don Grady, and Bradley Hamm. My Elon faculty and staff colleagues deserve appreciation, as well, for their encouragement and understanding. v A special salute goes to my high-achieving and equally supportive group of doctoral classmates at UNC: Johanna Cleary, Juanita Darling, Glen Feighery, Kenn Gaither, Calvin Hall, Dan Haygood, Cassandra Imfeld, Koan– Hyub Kim, Charles McKenzie, and Yuan Zhang. Dr. Imfeld volunteered to do the reliability coding for this work, and Dr. Feighery offered wise counsel thoughout the process. Officemate Matthew Taylor deserves medals for tolerating my misdirections, and classmates Brian Carroll, James Ivory, and Richard Landesberg, among others, offered valuable contributions. I offer my profound thanks to members of my dissertation committee: Jan Bardsley, Frank Fee, Barbara Friedman, Paul Jones, Carol Pardun, and Chair Robert L. Stevenson. Each has enriched me as teachers and scholars. Theories and observations developed during discussions with them serve as the bases of this dissertation. I am grateful to Dr. Friedman for joining the committee after Dr. Pardun left to direct the journalism program at Middle Tennessee State University. Dr. Fee deserves special honor for stepping in during difficult personal circumstances to keep this dissertation on track when the health of my chair lagged in the crucial month prior to the defense. And to Dr. Stevenson my great appreciation for years of guidance capped by a determination, despite ill health, to see me through the defense. Two people who deserve a note of tribute for their generous and lasting friendship and loyalty are Susan Windemuth and Tom Holliday, who are as much family as friends. One person who never doubted my passion to take on this mid-career effort was my brother, Mark Scott. This was nothing new for him. He has been on my side for longer than I have been in school, and that counts for quite a lot – in years and durability. I am ever grateful to Mark and Carol Mungle Scott for their encouragement. vi It would not only be obvious but appropriate to note that I could not have done this without the backing of my parents, Gordon G. and Carol A. Scott. I am too old to say that, but it is true and always has been true. My accomplishments are always with them, and their parents, in mind. My deepest, most heartfelt bow goes to the two people who have sacrificed the most toward the completion of this document. With this work finished, I hope to give my wife, Misako Matsuishi Scott, and my son, Kevin Mark Kentaro Matsuishi Scott, the attention they richly deserve. Honto ni arrigatou gozaimashita for your love and support, your lonely nights, your adaptations to new places and cultures, and your well-tested faith. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………............ xii Chapter I INTRODUCTION……………………………….…………………………...1 Purpose and Overview……...…………………………………………... 2 The Digital Revolution……………………………….…………………. 4 Calls for a Digital Crossing……………………………………………... 7 Purpose of Study………………………………………………………... 9 Defining Participatory Communication………………………………... 10 A Theoretical Lens……………………………………………………... 11 Research Design and Summary………………………………………... 15 Organization of the Study……………………………………………… 16 II LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………............... 18 Elements of Interactivity………………………………………...…….. 18 Terms of Participation…………………………………………...…….. 22 Digital Journalism……………………………………………...……… 26 Justifications for Participatory Communication...…………….. 29 viii Current Features for Participatory Communication…………….31 Implications for Participatory Communication………………... 32 Theories on Media Technology Change……………………………….. 35 Previous Studies…………………………………....………...………… 37 Research Questions…………………………………………...………... 39 III METHODS………………………………………………………………… 42 Study Sample …………………..………………………….…………... 43 Step One: Circulation Robustness……………………………………... 46 Step Two: Participatory Communication……..………………………... 47 Content Analysis Strengths…………………………………….. 48 Content Analysis Weaknesses…………………………………. 50 Coding Online Sites……………………………………………. 51 Coding Categories……………………………………………… 53 Coding Protocol……………...………………………………… 59 Coding Diary…………………………………………………… 61 Step Three: Correlating Variables…………………………….............. 63 IV RESULTS………………………………………………………………….. 65 Results for Circulation Robustness…………………………………….. 66 Results for Participatory Communication……………………………… 76 Participatory Features: Online Examples………………………………. 87 Discussion Forums...…………………………………………… 87 Audience Comment Space………………………...…………… 92 Link to Outside Comment……………………………...………. 95 ix Journalist Weblog……………………………………………… 96 Outside Weblog………………………………………………... 98 Photo Weblog or Space………………………………………… 98 Open Chat……………………………………………………… 99 Open Weblog………………………………………………….. 100 Q & A…………………………………………………………. 101 Reader Reaction Forum……………………………………….. 102 Other…………………………………………………...……… 103 Results for Final Correlations…………………………………………. 104 Summary……………………………………………………………… 105 V CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION ………………….………………. 106 Significance and Implications………………………………………… 107 Print Circulation…...………………………………….………. 107 Audience Participation………………………………….…….. 107 Relating Robustness