Interactivity on Swedish newspaper websites: What kind, how much and why?

Abstract

This article examines what kind of interactive features are available on the websites of Swedish newspapers, and what factors seem to influence the utilization of those features. Using Chung's typology of interactive features, we can discern four types: human (features that facilitate interpersonal communication), human-medium (allowing users to express their personal opinions), medium (allowing users choice options in experiencing news stories) and medium-human (allowing users to customize news to their liking) interactive features. Factors believed to have influence over interactive features are tested using statistical analysis. Even though different factors tend to influence different types of interactivity, results indicate that the most interactive newspaper websites belong to large, national newspapers with younger web staff.

Interactive Infographics and News Values

“…These can broadly be classified as either functional studies (Kenney et al 1999;Rosenberry 2005;Shultz 1999;Tankard and Ban 1998), concerned with how interactive elements in online news are presented; and perceived studies (Chung 2007;Larsson 2012) concerned with how interactivity is understood by the audience.…”

How structural multi-platform newsroom features and innovative values alter journalistic cross-channel and cross-sectional working procedures

“…However, this result may be due to the cross-sectional Interestingly, routine rigidity is not found to be influenced by gender, age, or journalistic generation, although this is suggested by previous research (Larsson, 2012;Ryfe, 2009). Solely managerial responsibility among the measured demographic variables leads to overcoming routine rigidity for process-related, cross-channel convergence.…”

“…Therefore, only when journalists did not previously invest much in a certain routine, which may be the case with How structural multi-platform newsroom features and innovative values alter journalistic cross-channel and cross-sectional working procedures FINAL PROOF Page 7 of 32 younger and less experienced journalists (Ryfe, 2009, p. 679), have traditional routines been followed less rigidly. In this manner, newspapers with younger web staff also offer more interactive features on their websites (Larsson, 2012).…”

(R)evolution of Perspectives on Interactivity: from a Media-Centered to a Journalist-Centered Approach

“…The study concluded that the analysed newspapers are still in a stage of preinteractivity (Fortunati et al, 2010: 58), showing again a major gap between interactivity as a potential and its spread in practice. Another more recent study (Larsson, 2012) -although limited only to Swedish newspaper venue -provides a deeper insight in the structural factors that either limit or stimulate the interactive features of online news websites. His findings suggest that the most interactive newspaper websites within Swedish context belong to large, national companies with younger staff (Larsson, 2012: 206).…”

“…These responses of the audience and the interaction with the readers are the crucial elements of the news environment, and they have brought about a cultural transformation in journalism. The implications of this core feature of online or digital journalism reach far and wide: online interactivity is argued to challenge the most rudimentary journalistic practices (Boczkowski and Mitchelstein, 2012;Hermida, 2010;Domingo and Paterson, 2011;Singer et al, 2011;Larsson, 2012;Ramirez et al, 2016). The process of news production, the selection of news issues and news sources, and the active response to media contents are increasingly structured around audience behaviour and their personalised preferences.…”