Journalartikel

Jahr der Veröffentlichung: 2023

Seiten: 812-822

Zeitschrift: Nature Human Behaviour

Bandnummer: 7

Heftnummer: 5

ISSN: 2397-3374

Open Access Status: Hybrid

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01538-4

Verlag: Nature Research

Abstract: 
Online media is important for society in informing and shaping opinions, hence raising the question of what drives online news consumption. Here we analyse the causal effect of negative and emotional words on news consumption using a large online dataset of viral news stories. Specifically, we conducted our analyses using a series of randomized controlled trials (N = 22,743). Our dataset comprises similar to 105,000 different variations of news stories from Upworthy.com that generated similar to 5.7 million clicks across more than 370 million overall impressions. Although positive words were slightly more prevalent than negative words, we found that negative words in news headlines increased consumption rates (and positive words decreased consumption rates). For a headline of average length, each additional negative word increased the click-through rate by 2.3%. Our results contribute to a better understanding of why users engage with online media.

Harvard-Zitierstil: Robertson, C., Pröllochs, N., Schwarzenegger, K., Pärnamets, P., Van Bavel, J. and Feuerriegel, S. (2023) Negativity drives online news consumption, Nature Human Behaviour, 7(5), pp. 812-822. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01538-4

APA-Zitierstil: Robertson, C., Pröllochs, N., Schwarzenegger, K., Pärnamets, P., Van Bavel, J., & Feuerriegel, S. (2023). Negativity drives online news consumption. Nature Human Behaviour. 7(5), 812-822. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01538-4