Is Internet Content Different after All? A Content Analysis of Mobilizing Information in Online and Print Newspapers

The present study answers calls of previous research to analyze the content of online news, assessing differences between print and online newspapers in frequency of “mobilizing information” (Ml)—information aiding people to act on pre-existing attitudes. Conceptual and operational definitions of locational, identificational, and tactical MI are included. Results revealed that online newspapers did not have significantly more MI than their print counterparts. This finding counters the assumption that online newspapers have more mobilizing content than print.

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