Examining Audience Cultivation and Relationship-Building as a Function of Media Richness

• In Event: The News Audience

Abstract

Does a media outlet’s richness affect audience perceptions? Using intercept surveys (N = 417), this study determines how people perceive their relationships with media outlets. Although “rich media” (i.e., media with high capacity for multimodal functionality) technically allow for more engagement and interaction than “poor media,” those effects were not seen here. On most outcomes, rich media (e.g., websites, social media) paralleled poor media (e.g., print publications). This study shows that media outlets have much work to do with regards to audience cultivation. However, structural equation modeling analysis found a significant link between stewardship strategies and relationship perceptions. Media organizations who engage in social responsibility experience greater trust, satisfaction, commitment, and control mutuality with their audiences. Theoretically, this adds to our understanding of media richness theory and its applications to the study of information communication technologies. Practically, it tests whether media companies are combating industry struggles by going digital.

Authors

• Alyssa Appelman, The Pennsylvania State University

• Richard D. Waters, University of San Francisco

• Denise S. Bortree, Pennsylvania State U