Date of Award
Fall 12-2010
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Mass Communication and Journalism
School
Communication
Committee Chair
Fei Xue
Committee Chair Department
Mass Communication and Journalism
Committee Member 2
Jae-Hwa Shin
Committee Member 2 Department
Mass Communication and Journalism
Committee Member 3
Kim LeDuff
Committee Member 3 Department
Mass Communication and Journalism
Committee Member 4
Chris Campbell
Committee Member 4 Department
Mass Communication and Journalism
Committee Member 5
Gene Wiggins
Committee Member 5 Department
Mass Communication and Journalism
Abstract
As newspapers struggle to redefine their role in a constantly shifting mass media landscape, this research project studies how one of mass communications’ historically fundamental mediums, the community newspaper, is utilizing its Web presence to connect to readers in innovative ways that might perpetuate loyalty to the local press. A key question is: How can community newspapers utilize their Web sites’ interactive features to maintain useful links of connectedness with local readers, in effect capitalizing on the very technologies that many analysts predict will ultimately render them obsolete?
Through content analysis of newspaper Web site home pages and industry surveys, it was found that there exists a possible disconnect between what surveyed online editors believed was important for their newspapers in the area of interactivity and what their newspapers were actually doing to remain connected to their readers online. More than 70% of online editors/Web site coordinators responding to an e-mailed survey agreed that it is important for their newspapers’ Web sites to post links that connect with readers and engage them in online discourse, encouraging feedback and consistent interactivity. Also, more than 75% of respondents said their newspapers are connecting to readers through these links of connectedness (LOCs). However, a content analysis of more than 400 newspapers showed that only 4.875 LOCs were offered per newspaper Web site home page.
Copyright
2010, Cleveland Allin Means
Recommended Citation
Means, Cleveland Allin, "Links of Connectedness: A Content Analysis and Industry Survey Comparing the Interactive Options of Community and Metro Newspaper Web Sites" (2010). Dissertations. 492.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/492