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Search engine effects on news consumption: Ranking and representativeness outweigh familiarity in news selection
[journal article]
Abstract While individuals' trust in search engine results is well-supported, little is known about their preferences when selecting news. We use web-tracked behavioral data across a 2-month period (280 participants) and we analyze three competing factors, two algorithmic (ranking and representativeness) and... view more
While individuals' trust in search engine results is well-supported, little is known about their preferences when selecting news. We use web-tracked behavioral data across a 2-month period (280 participants) and we analyze three competing factors, two algorithmic (ranking and representativeness) and one psychological (familiarity), that could influence the selection of search results. We use news engagement as a proxy for familiarity and investigate news articles presented on Google search pages (n = 1221). We find a significant effect of algorithmic factors but not of familiarity. We find that ranking plays a lesser role for news compared to non-news, suggesting a more careful decision-making process. We confirm that Google Search drives individuals to unfamiliar sources, and find that it increases the diversity of the political audience of news sources. We tackle the challenge of measuring social science theories in contexts shaped by algorithms, demonstrating their leverage over the behaviors of individuals.... view less
Keywords
news; ranking; information-seeking behavior; source of information; search engine; algorithm
Classification
Impact Research, Recipient Research
Interactive, electronic Media
Free Keywords
Familiarity; news consumption; news diversity; search engines; web tracking
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 1-27
Journal
New Media & Society (2023) OnlineFirst
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231154926
ISSN
1461-7315
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed