Opinion expression during social conflict: Comparing online reader comments and letters to the editor

Abstract

News outlets serve democratic norms by providing a wide range of viewpoints, including opinions from the public. This study examined opinion expression in online reader posts and letters to the editor in a community facing social conflict. Analysis of opinion expression about the Jena Six showed more balance in both the range and tone of opinions from online reader comments than reader letters. Online posts more often challenged community institutions than did letters. Ability to post anonymous comments, the absence of media gatekeepers and a younger audience are potential reasons why online reader comments differed from reader letters.

The Mainstreaming of Verbally Aggressive Online Political Behaviors

“…New technologies also allow people to discuss politics without the typical constraints associated with face-to-face communication. Web sites allow readers to become active participants in the news process by inviting them to comment on stories 1 and discuss important issues with members of the online community. However, scholars have pointed out that with these technological advances people are consuming more supportive information on partisan outlets.…”

The Portuguese news industry’s perspectives and roles on the making of active citizens: readers’ skills to comment on the news

“…Readers, though, still wrote long letters to issue protests, make suggestions and call for interventions. According to this editor, this newspaper was different as it still advocated social causes, in line with the findings of McCluskey andHmielowski (2011) andWahl-Jorgensen (2007). In contrast, while browsing through online newspapers using an iPad, newspaper editor 2 voiced a more positive opinion about the online relationship with the public and explained that letters to the editor mostly concerned opinion articles.…”

“…Today, letters to the editor face new competition from online reader comments, but online comments may reach different audiences -posting a comment is simple, quick and easy, while submitting a letter requires extra effort and time (McCluskey & Hmielowski, 2011). Although this subject has received much less scholarly attention than other areas of journalism studies, relevant academic research has not ceased in recent years (Perrin, 2016;Barrios, 2015Barrios, , 2013Reader, 2015;Silva, 2014a, Silva 2012aRibeiro, 2014Ribeiro, , 2013Data de submissão: 2017-10-01.…”

“…Data de aprovação: 2017 A Revista Estudos em Comunicação é financiada por Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade -COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projeto Comunicação, Filosofia e Humanidades (LabCom.IFP) UID/CCI/00661/2013. Puustinen, 2013;Pastor Pérez, 2012;McCluskey & Hmielowski, 2011;Jiménez, 2011;Young, 2011;Nielsen, 2010).…”

Prensa online y tipos de lectores. Respuestas del público y lógicas de reconocimiento en los comentarios a las noticias del diario argentino La Nación

“…Con posterioridad, y muy paulatinamente, empezaron a publicarse los primeros resultados de investigaciones que tienen a dicha herramienta de participación como objeto de cavilación. Las mismas, curiosamente, y a pesar de provenir de distintos ámbitos académicos y estudiar los comentarios de lectores en noticias publicadas en diarios de diferentes países, tienen una peculiaridad en común: en la mayoría de los casos (García de Torres, Martínez, Cebrián, Rodríguez & Alhacar, 2009;Singer & Ashman, 2009;Ruiz, Masip, Mico, Díaz Noci & Domingo, 2010;McCluskey & Hmielowski, 2012;Milioni, Vadratsikas & Papa, 2012;Navarro Zamora, 2013) se trata de trabajos que utilizan exclusivamente el análisis de contenido.…”