Israeli Newspapers' Content Changes as a Response to the Emergence of e-News Sites

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Communication and Technology Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

This study examines newspaper adaptation to the emerging digital news environment: whether and to what the extent the print press modified and adapted its content in light of the e-news challenge in Israel from 1993-2011. Three newspapers (one elite; two popular) were investigated: one daily issue every six months -- over 6000 news items. Seven dependent variables were scored (testing seven hypotheses): number of news items & pages; information vs. analysis/commentary; item length; number of visuals; frequency of future/speculative news; soft/general/hard news; internet motifs (e.g."links"). Ten journalists/editors were surveyed as well. The Findings show a clear pattern of adaptation, although not always in the direction hypothesized. The main explanation: print papers prefer to differentiate themselves from their e-news counterparts regarding most variables, rather than mimicking them (i.e. convergence).

Authors

• Sam N. Lehman-Wilzig, Bar-Ilan U

• Shimon Fridkin, Bar-Ilan U

• Sagi Hammel, Bar-Ilan U