Who Is Exposed to News? It Depends on How You Measure: Examining Self-Reported Versus Behavioral News Exposure Measures. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vraga, Emily K.; Tully, Melissa
• Other Names: Stier Sebastian guest-editor.; Siegers Pascal guest-editor.; Breuer Johannes guest-editor.; Thorson Kjerstin guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Social science computer review. Volume 38:Number 5(2020)
• Page Start: 550
• Page End: 566
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: news exposure -- self-report measures -- website analytics -- news audiences -- misreporting; Social sciences -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Computers -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Microcomputers -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Micro-ordinateurs -- Périodiques; 300.285
• DOI: 10.1177/0894439318812050
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0894-4393

Abstract

Despite the importance of news exposure to political outcomes, news consumption is notoriously difficult to measure, and misreporting news exposure is common. In this study, we compare participants' news behaviors measured on a news aggregator website with their self-reported story selection immediately after exposure. We find that both individual and contextual characteristics—especially the presence of political cues in news headlines—influence reporting of news story selection. As a result, the news audience profiles differ using self-reported versus behavioral measures, creating two different pictures of news exposure. More attention is needed to improve news measurement strategies to address misreporting and to improve the accuracy of news audience profiles.