Publication
Title
Two faces of media attention : media storm versus non-storm coverage
Author
Abstract
A media storm is a sudden surge in news coverage of an item, producing high attention for a sustained period. Our study represents the first multi-issue, quantitative analysis of storm behavior. We build a theory of the mechanisms that drive media storms and why the anatomy of media storms differs from that of non-storm coverage. Specifically, media storm coverage should change less explosively over time, but be more sharply skewed across issues, compared to non-storm coverage. We offer a new method of operationalizing media storms and apply our operationalization to U.S. and Belgian news. Even in these two very different cases, we find a common empirical storm anatomy with properties that differ from those of non-storm coverage in the predicted fashion. We illustrate the effects of media storms on the public through discussion of four key examples, showing that online search behavior responds strongly to media storms.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Political communication. - London, 1992, currens
Publication
London : 2014
ISSN
1058-4609 [print]
1091-7675 [online]
DOI
10.1080/10584609.2013.875967
Volume/pages
31 :4 (2014) , p. 509-531
ISI
000343241900002
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Law 
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 10.12.2014
Last edited 09.10.2023
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