Is There an Elite Hold? Traditional Media to Social Media Agenda Setting Influence in Blog Networks
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: According to several 2008 reports, blogging continues to attract writers and readers (Comscore Media Matrix, 2008; eMarketer, 2008; Sifry, 2008; Universal McCann, 2008). This form of Web content creation has matured beyond public personal journaling to support citizen journalism or journalism produced by independent bloggers unaffiliated with professional newsrooms (Lenhart & Fox, 2006). The popularity of blogs is in part fueled by its interactive format: The blog tool is popularly believed to be a vehicle of democracy because it fosters decentralized citizen control as opposed to hierarchical, elite control (Crumlish, 2004; Levine, Locke, Searls, & Weinberger, 2001; Rosen, 2006; Scoble & Israel, 2006; Suroweicki, 2005; Weinberger, 2003, 2008). This inversion of elite control is the social outcome of a more interactive format. Blogs are popularly viewed as a form of social media, or media that is architected by design to readily support participation, peer-to-peer conversation, collaboration, and community (O’Reilly, 2004). Social media tools such as blogs enable Web content creators to circumvent the high transaction costs that once characterized usage of earlier media technologies (Gillmor, 2004; Benkler, 2006; Bowman & Willis, 2003; Shirky, 2008). Independent political bloggers that comment on day-to-day news command a readership rivaling that of traditional media entities (Armstrong & Moulitsas Zuniga, 2006). The initial public derision heaped by traditional media entities on these independent bloggers unaffiliated with traditional, professional newsrooms (Rosen, 2005) continues to wane as these bloggers gain respect among Web readers (Johnson & Kaye, 2004). Top independent political bloggers have played an influential role in holding public officials accountable from Trent Lott to Dan Rather (Meraz, 2008). The blog form has matured to resemble traditional journalism in form and practice: Top, independent bloggers now hire editors, blog full-time, and engage in investigative journalism acts (Stoller, 2007; Strupp, 2008). The growth in the independent political blogger's credibility has taken place against the backdrop of traditional media's loss of a media monopoly on news creation and dissemination (Gillmor, 2004; Rosen, 2006). In an effort to survive, traditional newsrooms have embraced newsroom blogs as an alternative vehicle for news delivery (Meraz, 2008). This trend in traditional media blogging first grew to public visibility in the United States during the 2004 Democratic and Republican national conventions when traditional media bloggers showed up to “live-blog” these events with top independent political bloggers who were given press passes (Meraz, 2005). This study questions the agenda setting and social influence of elite traditional media outlets both among top independent political bloggers and among elite newsroom blogs. Using the hyperlink as an external marker of source influence, this study assesses hyperlink usage across three diverse issues in 2007 within the 11 newsroom political blogs of the New York Times and the Washington Post and within 18 top U.S. independent political blogs across the political spectrum. The timeliness of this study is underscored by two central concerns. Firstly, blogs have been widely heralded as a “democratizing innovation” (Von Hippel, 2005, Bruns, 2005, 2008); yet, this study questions whether citizen media outlets are really inverting the power structure between citizens and elite traditional media entities (Armstrong & Moulitsas Zuniga, 2006; Reynolds, 2006) through analyzing source influence. Secondly, this study examines how traditional media is utilizing the blog tool. The question can be posed: Do elite media entities utilize their newsroom political blogs as tools for forging networked conversations with the best of independent political blogging, or has it continued to “normalize the blog form” (Singer, 2005) with insular and parochial linking practices to other traditional mass media newsrooms? Such practices would indicate that this “more of the same journalism” may not be an effective gatekeeping practice for traditional newsrooms who seek to reconnect with engaged Web publics. Agenda setting has systematically sought to document the effects of mass media on the audience's cognitions. By virtue of creating a shared, national pseudo-environment, mass media fulfill the important function of building a public consensus on the important issues of the day (Lippmann, 1949; McCombs, 1997; McCombs, 2004). As one of the more enduring and most researched theories in mass communication and political communication (Bryant & Miron, 2004; McCombs, 2004; Weaver, 2007), agenda setting has matured as a theory to include a second-level agenda setting component (attribute agenda setting), a psychological component to explain individual-level agenda setting effects (need for orientation), an emphasis on how the media's agenda is shaped, and an explanation for the shared news agenda among different media (intermedia agenda setting). The theory, formulated when traditional media entities owned the tools of content creation and content distribution, remains largely untested in the new, interactive media age (McCombs, 2005). This study is centrally concerned with the intermedia agenda setting dynamics between elite traditional newsroom blogs and top independent political blogs, as well as the intermedia agenda setting influence within these said social networks. Prior research has found strong intermedia agenda setting effects between elite-to-less-elite traditional mass media entities (Reese & Danielian, 1989; Lim, 2006), newspaper coverage to television news broadcasts (Lopez-Escobar et al., 1998; Roberts & McCombs, 1994) and newspaper coverage to wire services (Lim, 2006). In the new media environment, evidence has also been found for convergent agendas between portal news outlets and traditional, elite media entities in television and newspaper industries (Yu & Aikat, 2006). Few studies have been conducted on traditional mass media's agenda setting ability in citizen-controlled Internet spaces. Lee et al. (2005) found higher correlations in support of newspaper influence on online bulletin board conversations in South Korea. Roberts, Wanta, and Dzwo (2002) found that U.S. online media were successfully able to set the agenda for U.S. electronic bulletin board users for three issues with a time-lag influence varying between 1 to 7 days. In one of the few studies to test mutual influence between traditional media and the independent political blogosphere, Cornfield et al. (2005) found a correlation of .78 for traditional media-to-blog influence as opposed to a correlation of .68 for blog-to-traditional media influence. Issue characteristics have been shown to play a strong role in mediating the traditional media's issue agenda setting effect. Prior research has shown that media's agenda setting impact is stronger with unobtrusive issues or issues that the audience has less direct, personalized experience with in real-world contexts (Zucker, 1978; Winter, Eyal, & Rogers, 1982; Smith, 1987; Weaver et al., 1981). The media's ability to influence the audience's agenda with issues is also related to the nature of the issue: Abstract issues are more difficult to transfer to the audience than concrete issues (Yagade & Dozier, 1990). The media are also better able to set the agenda in relation to more dramatic and conflict-laden events (MacKuen &Coombs, 1981; Wanta & Hu, 1993) and with shorter time-frame issues (Downs, 1972; Zucker, 1978). When assessing the agenda setting influence between traditional mass media and the independent political blogosphere, issue transfer is more feasible with issues that can support buzz and partisan framing within the highly partisan U.S. political blogosphere (Meraz, 2008; Cornfield et al., 2005). Gatekeeping is another relevant theory that has been subsumed under agenda setting. Many question whether gatekeeping can be a theory in the new media media the role of a central news 2005; 2004; & 2007; & 2004). gatekeeping as to for the power of the decentralized who can and media content for a networked Web who study gatekeeping in online media have the hyperlink as a of a gatekeeping et al., 2003; & traditional media usage of has as a function of traditional media practice insular linking practices within their traditional 2003; et al., blog influence on media reports, have found evidence of traditional mass media's on political bloggers & 2008; Cornfield et al., 2005; & 2004; 2008). In one of the few studies on traditional newsroom blogs, (2005) found that traditional media outlets were more to other traditional media In the of media influence, et al. found on traditional media than citizen media within citizen media This study a more test to these studies through influence across three issues within blogs of elite traditional media entities and within independent political blogs of diverse a diverse of issues and an elite blog this study questions the nature of citizen media to traditional media through the of source influence in their news Social is an theory of that on the and between and social as the study of among social and on the and of these is on the of and their the between the structure of between and among and the of structure and This study the that social theory can be to explain the of source influence and the power of agenda within social networks. In Web the independent blogosphere, among are through the and a of studies the or the of these a few command the of & 2008; 2003; Shirky, 2003; 2006). because are to such as the blogosphere a through a a few gain influence and & & This through the power an in influence. the blogosphere, this among or blogs is by the of and blogs are to through credibility and to more it has been that this growth in the of blogs 2007; 2006), to the blogosphere are not from As political blogs also to blogs by and the of the blogosphere through hyperlink usage in their news (2005) that in of these the from can or that of the elite the influence of the In Independent and Media to this study is the of social theory theory or of a The that have to is by shared and social & et al., the independent U.S. political blogosphere, several studies have found partisan in diverse & 2005; 2005; et al., 2006). that this by This study to through the of & This study the elite traditional media newsrooms their elite by to to other professional newsroom as opposed to citizen it be to the independent political blogger's from media in on other citizen bloggers as in news The for traditional media to (Singer, 2005) and the that citizen media the citizen to be a news source (Gillmor, 2004; Bowman & Willis, both be in this This study sought to whether traditional mass media entities as source in the independent political blogosphere is that blogs can the of power between the citizen and traditional media entities (Armstrong & Moulitsas Zuniga, 2006; Reynolds, 2006). This study sought evidence for such power through assessing source influence in the of news This study the research independent bloggers of diverse political on citizen traditional Prior agenda setting studies have that issue characteristics play a strong role in the of traditional media's agenda setting influence. few to studies have this in the This study the first by whether the different issues in this study would in on traditional to citizen media within independent political blog networks. This study the research evidence that the of mass media to citizen media influence among independent bloggers of diverse political on different of Prior studies have found that elite traditional media entities influence less elite media outlets (Reese & Danielian, the that is media on the Web this study the agenda setting influence of the New York Times and the Washington Post within independent political blog This study the research the New York Times and the Washington Post their elite as source among independent bloggers of diverse political the traditional newsroom utilizing its blog to to the citizen media on the of the blog form within traditional media newsrooms found a for insular linking practices among traditional media entities (Singer, 2005). research conducted on traditional media blogs this initial this study the research the New York Times and the Washington Post on citizen media traditional media in their political research questions were against a blog of 18 independent political blogs and and 11 political blogs from elite traditional media entities the New York and the Washington the 18 most U.S. political blogs from across the this study correlation to blogs from the blogosphere and blogs from the blogosphere from blog the and of these top or blogs on and the of blogs were correlation on the most blogs from the and the blogs the The and The Post and blogs it to these In to the top blogs, the were in the three popularity in the a the most blogs and the to on of these in the a blog that popularity through and of in of the blogs. The of blogs for The The The and The This study also the political blogs of the New York Times and the Washington in this study were the political blogs The The and the from the New York and the political blogs The and from the Washington The 2007 to 2007 as a for relevant issue to the of political events in this a of central issues The of issues to issues on two issue to be by a and a important in the nature of agenda setting and also to across blogs and Using this three issues on citizen media and mass media blogs. issues were the on the the and the on the and the the for issue and of issue the of blog and to of the three issues on a for the under this to of the the three and for the the and the issue were to to and to The of these issues also a test of agenda setting the and the issue were dramatic and of partisan In the of the the and that traditional media a strong to set the the the an and by both media and the blogosphere the In the of the the delivery of the to the issue of the in The of the by the of this issue in to the other two and the creation of a partisan by the partisan both that this issue would be more to traditional media agenda setting influence. source influence, were in on the blog of both the 18 independent political blogs and the 11 traditional media blogs. be in one content and content for this the partisan partisan traditional media traditional media other media, other citizen media media to or portal news social news and news media this with were during the were to of media This the of be in one this the were to to traditional media traditional media and traditional media and citizen media the other citizen media and social news were to entities or media media and media entities news and news media as this on traditional media and citizen media source In were for their social with from the 18 blogs and from the 11 traditional media blogs. Using on a of produced from to through the different blog networks. were through a Web form and in a were against the to on of also of against and were 1 a of through the three different issue across media blogosphere, blogosphere, blogosphere, and traditional media blog As the more on the issue to the of the issue when to that of the issue and the Media and Issue Media and Issue is important to that the blogosphere more to when to other media networks. As a that as a function of partisan for the blogs in this study when are that blogs in this study were more to across issues when to blogs and blogs in this the the This through the different that as a function across the issue the issue and the issue among blogs in this study with in blogs in this study were more to and the issue when to blogs on and and blogs on and 1 evidence of the power structure for in this The blogs in this study and is a in to as a The top of the in this study command of the or of across networks. This to the power that a few elite are in control of the of source influence the of traditional media and citizen media blog question one whether were in the media through the blogosphere and through within the citizen media the top in the blogosphere and traditional media within the independent blog networks. of the top to traditional media entities to citizen The popularity of the Washington Post and the New York Times is by their as the two Top the citizen media Top the citizen media a among citizen blog for traditional or citizen the and for the three in their to citizen media traditional media across three the of an independent in to citizen media or traditional media across three issues in the three blog networks. and of to Media for Issue and of to Media for Issue of in to Media Media and Issue of in to Media Media and Issue this not a one on an through the three blog an to research question the blog were as to to citizen media as to traditional media on the citizen media as to be to as traditional media from blog networks. through three bloggers were more to to traditional media as to citizen media for the issue the through the blog bloggers showed in their to citizen media and traditional media through two of the three the both citizen media and traditional media were as to be to from the on the bloggers were as to to citizen media as traditional media on the blogs were more to to traditional media citizen media the and the were found in to citizen media and traditional media across the three issues under in this The blogosphere were as to to citizen media as to traditional media on the were in to citizen media and traditional media on the the both citizen media and traditional media an of from the the blogosphere, were found in to citizen media and traditional media in the blogosphere across three In relation to the the blogosphere were as to to citizen media as were to traditional media the were between the to citizen media and traditional media were also found for between citizen media and traditional media on the question three the to the New York Times and the Washington Post their elite as agenda within the political blog networks. through the top across the different on an these is the continued of traditional media, a that is well through Top for the Top for the Top for the Top for the Top for the on an Top for the on an of the three two of the three the Washington Post and the New York Times are in the top three media for three networks. the blogosphere is the of the a media their top media for the issue in this Do of the independent blog the of the Washington Post or the New York and of three in their to the New York Times and the Washington Post across three the of an independent showed in to the New York Times or the Washington Post across issues in the three blog networks. an this also were in to the Washington Post or the New York Times on the issue in the three blog networks. were as to to the Washington Post or the New York Times on the issue in the three blog networks. were as to be given to the Washington Post or the New York Times for the issue the three blog networks. and of to the New York Times and the Washington Post and Issue and of to the New York Times and the Washington Post and Issue in to the New York Times and the Washington Post and Issue in to the New York Times and the Washington Post and Issue this up through blog were in the to the New York Times or the Washington Post were found in these to the Washington Post or the New York Times on the issue the Washington Post and the New York Times were as to from bloggers on the issue the Washington Post and the New York Times were to on the issue The blogosphere produced were between the Washington Post or the New York Times in across issues were found in to the Washington Post or the New York Times on the issue the Washington Post and the New York Times were as to be to on the issue and were found between for the Washington Post or the New York Times on the issue the other two the blogosphere The blogosphere in its media to the Washington Post or the New York Times across the Washington Post and the New York Times were as to be to on the issue the both the Washington Post and the New York Times on the both the Washington Post and the New York Times were as to be to from the question whether elite traditional media outlets were to the intermedia agenda setting influence of citizen media on their blog news of such hyperlink influence would indicate that elite traditional media entities are their blog to a more form of 11 on the blog linking practices of both media entities across three issue under in this As the to other traditional media entities for the of these elite blog with of the top citizen of these citizen media are to blogs in this and both of these blogs were by bloggers who were once traditional, professional Top Media for the New York Times and the Washington Post Top Media for the New York Times and the Washington Post both the New York Times and the Washington Post the of their to other traditional media entities and The also that for elite its top source is with its top source the The of the traditional media social is by the that the source for the New York Times is the Washington Post and the for both media blogs, are few blogs in the top for traditional media The Washington Post has citizen media outlets in its top with two of these blog by who were once The New York Times has three citizen media in its top of the two blogs in the top for the New York Times is to the blog The other is to of the of and media Top for the New York Blogs citizen media Top for the New York Blogs citizen media Top for the Washington Post Blogs citizen media Top for the Washington Post Blogs citizen media the of agenda setting theory to the new media environment, (2005) the agenda setting effects of news media in the same as the or because of the media these effects high on the research agenda for the Blogs have the press to the (Rosen, 2006) and have been for their ability to the of power between citizens and traditional media in the creation of citizen news (Armstrong & Zuniga, 2006; Reynolds, 2006). Agenda setting theory, formulated during the when traditional media monopoly power the tools of content creation and (Lippmann, 1949; McCombs, traditional media to be the central the news the growth of more interactive Web and the of the blog by traditional this study sought to the role of citizen and traditional media in the setting of news This study also sought to whether social influence theory agenda setting among and between these two media This that traditional media's agenda setting power is or within citizen media The independent blog is power between traditional media and citizen media agenda setting is now one among traditional media independent blog are utilizing the blog tool to citizens more influence and power in setting news blog were in media across three issue In two of the three and this on an media's loss of agenda setting monopoly power in the political blogosphere can be well by shared The independent political from or media has to utilize other citizen media when building of traditional media's news (Meraz, 2008). traditional media outlets that on in their effort to and journalism & independent bloggers are by such media gain their to traditional media's news through the of relevant and shared by other citizen media power citizen media have in traditional media's agenda setting The New York Times and the Washington Post as top within blog top media for two of the three issues under in this In of agenda setting theory, elite traditional mass media entities are more to their agenda setting power the of the of media citizen media influence agenda setting power the of media Such a that traditional media's agenda setting power is the influence, its influence remains a in the creation of blog As by media theory citizen media's is in its an is able to traditional media's agenda setting effect. the of issue characteristics in media agenda setting power in and blog networks. of this three issues a the The impact of this in through issue This another how agenda setting and gatekeeping in the new media The hyperlink that these bloggers a to media In the new media popularity and on issues can be a to circumvent media agenda setting power and popularity on Web and news As by social influence elite traditional media entities have the blog a tool for networked to conversations within their of other traditional media for both the New York Times and the Washington the source is the and for both media traditional mass media in their hyperlink The citizen media bloggers that are able to gain traditional media's were once or traditional media as in the of the blogs and the is that for traditional media agenda setting influence is by the of the press or of journalism and newspaper television and credibility of traditional media news outlets among Web users that traditional media is in of is how traditional media can in tools that through networked conversations and The Web with the of independent blogging, may in a newsroom blog that the of the This study several The blog to 18 top independent political blogs and two elite traditional media entities in an effort to influence. studies the independent blog the of media and be more to both elite and traditional and citizen media also to be in this study across diverse issue and to the role of issue characteristics in mediating agenda setting influence between traditional media entities and citizen media to media influence across and second-level agenda setting to whether traditional media function as a influence the the studies can also of of in an effort to whether such and in traditional journalism indicate agenda setting power in the new media is an in the of of research on the and impact of social media technologies on citizen political citizen and mass media
Author: Sharon Meraz
Institution: University of Illinois Chicago
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2095065410