“新媒体使用”概念的有效性——从媒介使用和媒介效果看网络信息渠道的异质性

"新媒体使用"经常作为与"传统媒体使用"相对立的概念获得学界的关注。然而,随着技术的快速发展,媒体家族的迅速壮大,"新媒体使用"在量化研究中的内涵外延也日渐模糊。对此,本文提出了一个元测试(meta-instrument)问题--在用户使用行为和媒介效果两方面,新媒体和传统媒体是否清晰可分?基于对二手数据的分析,本文发现不同的网络信息渠道/平台在使用频率上呈现异质性,在媒介效果上也难以作为同质化的"新媒体"或"网络媒体"一概而论。同时,门户网站在用户使用频率和使用效果上,更接近于传统媒体(如中央电视台、新华社和人民日报),而非社交媒体(如微博、微信等)。本文的研究发现为新媒体使用及其效果研究提供了新的思路,为新媒体理论的发展提供了新的经验资料。     

Influences on TV Viewing and Online User-shared Video Use: Demographics,Generations, Contextual Age,Media Use,Motivations, and Audience Activity

People are increasingly viewing, providing, and recommending video content through the Internet. Applying the uses and gratifications framework, along with contextual age and generational theory, this study identifies and compares motivations for, and their influence on, traditional TV viewing and online user-shared video use among a U.S. sample of adult Internet users. Further, this study explores the form and role of audience activity through online user-shared video recommendations (type, channel, and social relation). Overall, the basic U&G motivations also apply to the new online media world, but differ in levels and influence.     

Why We Share: A Uses and Gratifications Approach to Privacy Regulation in Social Media Use

The contradiction between the stated preferences of social media users toward privacy and actual privacy behaviors has suggested a willingness to trade privacy regulation for social goals. This study employs data from a survey of 361 social media users, which collected data on privacy attitudes, online privacy strategies and behaviors, and the uses and gratifications that social media experiences bring. Using canonical correlation, it examines in detail how underlying dimensions of privacy concern relate to specific contexts of social media use, and how these contexts relate to various domains of privacy-protecting behaviors. In addition, this research identifies how specific areas of privacy concern relate to levels of privacy regulation, offering new insight into the privacy paradox. In doing so, this study lends greater nuance to how the dynamic of privacy and sociality is understood and enacted by users, and how privacy management and the motivations underlying media use intersect.     

Predicting Parent-Child Differences in Perceptions of How Children Use the Internet for Help With Homework,Identity Development,and Health Information

Bioecological systems theory provides a framework to understand how factors in the child's environment contribute to parent-child differences in estimations of how often children are helped by their Internet use. A national sample survey of 456 matched parent-child pairs investigated how parents-child relational factors, parental attitudes toward the Internet, and the bio-ecology of the child, are related to differing perceptions of the frequency of using the Internet to seek help with homework assignments, to aid in identity development, and to find health information. While previous research shows that parents underestimate risky online behaviors, we investigate whether parent-child differences will emerge in regards to how often the child engages in the behaviors under investigation here. The findings show that parents overestimate these online activities, suggesting they are biased in their estimations. Parent-child relational factors emerged as predictors of parental overestimation for each of these online activities, with trust perceptions as the most consistent predictor. Parental attitudes toward the Internet predicted parent-child differences in perceptions of how frequently the child used the Internet for help with homework and identity development, while the bioecology of the child was only predictive in the case of using the Internet for help with homework.     

Exploring structured inequality in Internet use behavior

This paper explicates the construct of ‘communicative potentials’ for understanding inequality in Internet use. Communicative potentials consist of three sets of factors (resources, utility values, and literacy) that jointly affect individuals' Internet use behavior. They are distributed unequally in a society and form a structural grid to transfuse structural patterns of resource and opportunity distributions into patterns of Internet use behavior. Analyzing data of the Shanghai Survey, this study discerns the operation of such structures in the manifestation of socio-economic, age, and gender gaps in likelihood and frequency of usage, as well as types of online activities. Based on the findings, this paper argues that systemic inferences about how the Internet might lead to social changes must be built upon a better understanding of how social structural factors configure features of Internet use behavior in a general population.     

Repertoires of collective action in an “IT City”: Urban civil society negotiations of offline and online spaces in Bangalore

This paper examines the ways in which two Internet-based civil society groups, Hasiru Usiru and Praja, negotiate online and offline spaces of collective action in Bangalore, India’s “IT City.” Based on ethnographic research, the study extends collective action theory through an examination of communicative interactions and experiences of urban civil society actors in a developing country. The paper highlight factors that impede and support collective actions, including attitudes toward the Internet as a tool for democratic engagement, ideological motivations, and perceptions of identity and membership, among others. Such a line of inquiry is significant in highlighting the possibilities of ICTs for collective action, while simultaneously avoiding the tendency to inflate and overestimate their capacity to produce social change.     

Changes in U.S. Journalism

During the past decade, great changes have occurred in journalism, many of them due to the rapid rise of social media. What has happened to American journalists in the decade since the early 2000s, a time of tumultuous changes in society, economics, and technology? What impact have the many cutbacks and the dramatic growth of the internet had on US journalists’ attitudes, and behaviors—and even on the definition of who is a journalist? To answer the questions raised above, in late 2013 we conducted a national online survey of 1080 US journalists. The survey is part of the American Journalist project, which conducted similar surveys of US journalists in 1982, 1992, and 2002. We found that US journalists use social media mainly to check on what other news organizations are doing and to look for breaking news events. A majority also use social media to find ideas for stories, keep in touch with their readers and viewers, and find additional information. Thus, journalists use social media predominantly as information-gathering tools and much less to interview sources or to validate information. Our findings also indicate that most journalists consider social media to have a positive impact on their work. Of particular value, it seems, was the fact that social media make journalism more accountable to the public. However, only about a third of the journalists also think that social media have a positive influence on the journalistic profession overall. One of the most common negative perceptions was that online journalism has sacrificed accuracy for speed. Overall, then, it appears that most journalists do see the benefits of social media, but fewer are convinced that these new forms of digital communication will benefit journalistic professionalism.     

New Media Use,Sociodemographics, and Voter Turnout in the 2000 Presidential Election

Based on General Social Survey data, this study employs logit models to clarify the effects of new media use and sociodemographic characteristics on voter turnout in the 2000 presidential election. It also discusses the predicting power of social-demographics on new media use behavior. Findings highlight that the behavior of actively seeking political information online, which can be expected by the level of education and income of Internet users, raised their likelihood of voting. General Internet exposure, which is reduced by age and affected by gender, however, could not increase the turnout as expected. Among sociodemographic indicators, education counted the most in the 2000 presidential election. People's sociodemographic characteristics were stronger predictors than their new media use behavior for voter turnout.     

Gratifications,chronic loneliness and internet use

This study examined how chronic loneliness is associated with gratifications‐sought and its effect on Internet use. Results from a telephone survey of 864 Internet users of 16‐years of age or older found that surveillance, affection, and social interaction were strongest instrumental use of the Internet followed by ritualized use such as entertainment, escape, and arousal. The proposition that the chronically lonely derive fewer gratifications from Internet use than do the situationally lonely and the nonlonely people was not supported. Moreover, no consistent patterns of ritualized or instrumental use of the Internet were found when comparing the chronically lonely and the nonlonely groups. However, the hypothesis that chronically lonely persons will report less active use of the Internet such as using e‐mail, surfing the WWW, reading online news, and playing online games than do the situationally lonely and the nonlonely persons received much support. Finally, regression results show that instrumental gratifications were more predictive of Internet activities for the nonlonely group than the lonely group. Implications of loneliness on Internet use in Chinese culture are discussed.     

Adults Learning to Use the Internet: A Longitudinal Study of Attitudes and Other Factors Associated with Intended Internet Use

This longitudinal study, carried out between November 1993 and 1998, investigated the reasons that adult learners in Iceland gave for wanting to learn about the Internet, and their attitudes to it. Data were collected through a short open-ended electronic mail survey delivered to participants in Internet training courses held in Iceland over a three-year period. The authors describe the three stages in the research: identification of elements of an analytical framework; testing of a behavioral intention model of Internet use based on the theory of planned behavior; and use of the model to identify attitudes to the Internet, social influences on Internet use, perceived control of Internet use, and changes in these factors as the Internet became more widely known. They observed that learners' intended uses of the Internet became more specific between 1994 and 1996. While the influence of the media and the general community increased in this period, attitudes remained relatively stable. Participants found the Internet interesting and useful, with positive advantages over other media. They were positively disposed toward it as a source of information. For some, use was constrained by perceptions that they needed to have more knowledge or understanding in order to use the Internet better.     

Facilitating cross-cleavage communication online: Findings from interviews with ultra-Orthodox,religious, and secular participants

One of the key questions addressed by the study of online social media is whether or not they facilitate cross-cleavage communication between users of different nationality, ethnicity, religiosity, and other group affiliations. This study contributes to the literature by addressing communication across religious cleavages, which has scarcely received attention. The study is based on 97 semistructured interviews of a layered sample. Of the respondents, 40 were secular (21 men and 19 women), 28 Modern Orthodox (14 men and 14 women), and 29 ultra-Orthodox (11 men and 18 women). We found that groups differing by their majority/minority status and type of religious observance used the Internet for different purposes. Many secular respondents (members of the majority group in Israel) were motivated to make contact on social media by social needs. On the other hand, ultra-Orthodox respondents (members of the minority group) were exclusively focused on professional objectives as a motivation to use social media. Consequently, their online behaviors were quite different and they more frequently encounter people from groups differing by type of religious observance through social media.     

The Politics of Goods: A Case Study of Consumer Nationalism and Media Discourse in Contemporary China

This study advances the concept of consumer nationalism in the international marketplace. It examines the complex role of the media in its formation and expressive practices through a case study of an incident involving Toshiba Corporation in China. The concept rests upon three key arguments of self-definition through consumption, globalization, and symbolic national unification. In their encounter with the global brand Toshiba, the Chinese media and consumers re-discovered and evoked a strong nationalistic sentiment underlined by Japan's past aggression and atrocities in China. The media discourse of national pride and dignity in the case study represents the complex confluence of China's continuing ambivalence towards Japan, sponsor activities by key advocacy groups, and the changing Chinese media practices. Further research is called for to consider the concept of consumer nationalism, its processes, participants, and consequences.     

科学传播与互联网——美国R2委员会调查成果

这篇论文探讨了 8个问题 :互联网的发展与使用、互联网受众与其他媒介受众的比较、受众对互联网作为科学传播媒介的态度、对互联网作为大众传播渠道的宏观定性评价、正在消失的互联网模板、创建模板及评估高级网站的标准、在线科学传播记者的准备、五个未回应的挑战。     

Motivations for Participation in a Crowdsourcing Application to Improve Public Engagement in Transit Planning

Governments increasingly turn to the Internet to aid in transparency, accountability, and public participation activities, and there is growing interest in innovative online problem-solving models to serve the public good. One such model, the crowdsourcing model, leverages the collective intelligence of online communities for specific purposes. Understanding how and why people participate in these kinds of activities is important for developing better new media tools for the public good going forward. In 2009, the Federal Transit Administration supported the Next Stop Design project, an attempt to use crowdsourcing for public participation in transit planning. Based on interviews with 23 Next Stop Design participants, the present applied communication study discusses the motivations of those participants to engage the project.     

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Internet Communication, Geographic Community, and Social Capital in Crisis

This study investigated Internet communication and use in a crisis situation, Hurricane Katrina, to explore the role of the Internet in supporting or diminishing geographically-based community during a crisis. The researchers conducted an online survey of Internet users (n=1192) from the dispersed metropolitan New Orleans area. The survey focused on amount, type, function, and importance of Internet use to creating and maintaining social capital, supporting geographically-based communities, activating social networks, reducing uncertainty, and achieving both expressive and instrumental communication goals. The results indicated that Internet users in a crisis situation went online to seek interactive fora specific to their neighborhoods and to activate weak ties in their social networks. They engaged in more uncertainty reduction behavior when experiencing higher degrees of damage. They turned to the Internet in place of other media as a result of disruptions caused by the crisis. Women valued online expressive communication more than men did. The findings suggest that social capital theorists would benefit from a communication perspective on the Internet. The study also led to the formation of suggestions for emergency preparedness agencies, shelter providers, crisis victims, and online news providers that can improve emergency response.     

Audience Attributes,Media Supplementation,and Likely Online Service Adoption

Despite the explosive potential for revenue growth on the Internet, research suggests that the advertising industry remains perplexed about how to reach consumers in this new medium. Drawing from several bodies of literature including diffusion, motivation, and media substitution theories, this study explores potential predictors for online service adoption. Findings indicate that the cognitive and affective gratification-seeking factors were the strongest predictors of likely online service adoption. By contrast, whereas adopter attributes were moderate predictors, the existing adoption cluster and media use attributes were both weak predictors of likely online service adoption.     

台湾地区新闻从业人员网络素养与网络新闻识读能力之研究

认为1999年因网络原生新闻概念而创立的网络报纸在台湾出现后,网络新闻开始让传统新闻媒体的产制作业产生冲击,新兴媒体时代的新闻产制过程,让新闻工作者无法用原本的媒体素养来因应网络。使用问卷调查法,了解新闻从业人员的网络素养以及具备网络素养的衡量准则。研究结果发现,新闻工作者已大量使用网络,但网络素养却十分匮乏,难以因应媒体科技在新兴媒体时代的变化。     

Attitudes and practices of Canadian academic librarians regarding library and online privacy: A national study

Libraries have always been places where individuals feel free to explore new ideas and seek out information in the pursuit of creative and intellectual growth. Fear of exposure or surveillance could threaten an individual's inclination to search for and access information. Understandably then, privacy is understood to be a core professional responsibility of librarians. This study builds on a national report and a qualitative study, completed in the United States, which explored librarians' attitudes on privacy. Adding a Canadian voice to the literature, this study examines survey results from academic librarians in Canada on their perceptions and attitudes related to library practices and online privacy behaviors. Overall, Canadian academic librarians believe that protecting patron privacy and educating patrons about issues related to online privacy is important. However, many Canadian academic librarians doubt that libraries are doing all they can to protect patron privacy. Academic librarians stand to gain knowledge and understanding of peer attitudes toward online privacy, as well as how patron privacy is being advocated for and protected on university campuses across Canada. The results will guide future library policies and programming aimed at creating an environment where privacy rights are protected and patrons can make informed choices about their online actions.     

The Interplay Between Media Use and Interpersonal Communication in the Context of Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors: Reinforcing or Substituting?

This study aims to explore how media use for health information and interpersonal health communication interact in the context of healthy lifestyle behaviors. This study hypothesizes that media use for health information and interpersonal health communication will serve as substitutes for one another. To test this hypothesis, this study uses a nationally representative survey of 2,107 civilian, noninstitutionalized adults in the United States. The results show that the associations between television use and Internet use and healthy lifestyle behaviors are enhanced among those who talk about health issues with their family and friends less frequently, which supports the substitution model. The implications that these findings have for future research are discussed.