Informational and social aspects of news dissemination on Facebook and Twitter

• In Event: Dialogues in Journalism Studies: The New Gatekeepers

Abstract

Traditional notions of gatekeeping maintain a focus on information flows but dismiss social aspects. In a news environment inclusive of social media, however, personal and social relationships become a potentially important gatekeeping component. Unlike in a mass media environment it is possible to have a personal relationship with the producer of news content and/or one’s readership and audience. This study examines the political chat of Canadians who act as gatekeepers on social media. Using online social network analysis and interviews (N = 48), it is found that the social risk of talking politics leads individuals to limit their Facebook political chat to moments of heightened political tension. Yet these individuals more regularly produce and share content via Twitter. Ultimately these individuals choose the type, quality and frequency of information they share based on their personal relationship to their social media audiences which in turn constrains information flow socially.

Author

• Elizabeth Dubois, University of Ottawa