Goodbye politics, hello lifestyle : Changing news topics in tabloid, quality and local newspaper websites in U.K. and Sweden 2002-2012.

Although considerable efforts have been pursued in studying online news no studies so far have investigated how the actual news topics is affected by digitalization in general, if at all, or compared different media traditions. Instead, changes in content are assumed or illustrated anecdotally rather than systematically assessed. This empirical study, covering Swedish and UK news sites with a tabloid, quality morning, and local/regional background between 2002-2012, shows that there is a tabloidization effect in general but that it is stronger in tabloids and in Sweden compared to the UK. Further, this tabloidization can be more precisely described as a lifestylization and de-politization process as it is in these areas where the biggest growth and decline are. In addition, the study reveals that it is the slower news that increases most suggesting that the immediate character of online news is mediated by production conditions.

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