TY - JOUR
AU1 - Chung, Deborah S.
AU2 - Nah, Seungahn
AB - Abstract Using a statewide, Web-based survey, this study examines the associations between online community news audiences' uses of interactive features offered in various news presentations and the perceived satisfaction of community news sites. In addition, the study aims to identify associations between different types of interactive news presentation styles and levels of satisfaction. Results indicate that use of interactive features is positively associated with perceived satisfaction with the exception of forums and Q&A features. Results also reveal that customization features, such as content submissions, letter-to-the-editor, and e-mail byline links, are the sole significant positive predictor of perceived satisfaction toward community news sites. Introduction Interactivity is thought to be a key quality of the Internet (Fortin & Dholakia 2000; Jakobovits, 1997; Morris & Ogan, 1996; Rafaeli & Sudweeks 1997; Williams, Rice & Rogers, 1988). The potential for interactivity has launched the exponential growth of thousands of online newspapers and millions of online news consumers (Newslink, 2004; Abdulla, Garrison, Salwen, Driscoll, & Casey, 2005). Many online news sites are now serious publications incorporating various storytelling techniques and even providing various methods of audience engagement (Li, 2006). The ideal of interactivity speaks to critical issues the popular press has been struggling to deal with for some time. Christians, Ferre, and Fackler (1993) argue that the traditional press has acted as a vehicle of expert transmission rather than a network for community discussion, and the public will reawaken when they are encouraged to fully join the talk and are addressed as a conversational partner. Lacy (1992) also suggests that reader input and feedback, a two-way journalism, could mend the disconnect between citizens and the media and revitalize public communication. Although many attempts to define interactivity (Bordewijk & van Kamm, 1986; Rogers, 1986; Rafaeli, 1988, Rafaeli & Sudweeks, 1997; Heeter, 1989; Steuer, 1995; Kiousis, 2002) and the implementation of interactive features on websites exist (Chan-Olmsted & Park, 2000; Greer & Mensing, 2006; Ha & James, 1998; Kenney, Gorelik & Mwangi, 2000; Massey & Levy, 1999; McMillan, 2002; Noar, Clark, Cole, & Lustria, 2006; Rosenberry, 2005; Schultz, 1999; Stromer-Galley, 2000), research on the effects of interactivity are sparse and relatively inconclusive. Furthermore, there are limited reports as to the relationship between various news presentations and online news consumers who use various interactive features. While consumer attitudes of online sites have been the topic of research for academics in the business and advertising fields (Cross & Smith, 1996; Ghose & Dou, 1998; Cho & Leckenby, 1999), little has been done to examine such trends within the communication discipline. Despite the continued interest toward online news and various styles of interactive news presentation, little is understood about the outcomes of the uses of interactive features and their contribution toward users' satisfaction with their news consumption experiences. It is important to understand how news consumers are satisfied with various news presentation styles, as this may be related to their intention to revisit the news website. This study examines the associations between online community news audiences' uses of interactive features generally present in various news presentations and the perceived satisfaction of community news sites. In addition, the study aims to identify associations between different types of interactive presentations and levels of satisfaction. Theoretical Background Interactivity has been called the “hallmark of the digital medium” (Online News Association, 2003) and the key advantage of new media (Morris and Ogan, 1996). As such, it has been discussed in conjunction with various other concepts, such as flow (Csíkszentmihályi, 1996), presence/telepresence (Lombard & Ditton, 1997; Steuer, 1995), and media richness/vividness (Steuer, 1995) or sensory immersion (Kim & Biocca, 1997). However, the interest in this concept by news media professionals and scholars addresses a double disconnect that exists between journalists/news organizations and citizens/communities and between the people and public life (Nip, 2006). Traditional mass communication models have followed a sender to receiver, unidirectional, centralized approach to information dissemination (Shannon & Weaver 1949). The senders of information have been distinct from the traditional receivers of information. In traditional news media outlets, the audience is relatively passive and relies on the information source to deliver the day's news. However, as the Internet can now be considered a mass medium, it has raised questions about traditional theories that don't quite seem to fit and audiences who refuse to stay passive. Increasingly, online news sites, for example, allow users to contribute stories, and this has implications for traditional theories, such as agenda setting, as issue salience is no longer solely dependent on the mainstream press but may also follow citizens and individuals, such as A-list bloggers and citizen journalists. The Internet allows for communication that some times fits and follows traditional models and sometimes allows for altogether new configurations of communication (Morris & Ogan, 1996). As such, there has been interest in the potential of online news sites to serve as a forum for political discussion, to enhance deliberative democracy and to allow citizens to become more actively involved in community and social happenings. At the core of interactivity is the idea that audience members can become actively involved as participants. Sundar (2008) calls this agency—“the degree to which the self feels that he/she is a relevant actor in the CMC situation… it is the extent of manipulability afforded by the interface to assert one's influence over the nature and course of the interaction” (p. 61). In essence, interactivity allows users to feel like active participants who are engaged in the communication process and less as passive recipients of messages. Interactivity and Online News Studies document that among the newspapers that publish online editions, more than 32 percent are small, community nondailies and only about 2 percent are considered major metro daily newspapers (Newslink, 2004). As previous studies have focused almost exclusively on larger, metro dailies, this study targets smaller, community-based newspapers, which have not been given adequate attention. Smaller, community-based newspapers are important to examine as there is greater variability in the rate of online adoption and many lack interactivity (Lowrey, 2003). In addition, small-town newspapers are often the only source for local news and may have the responsibilities of being the town's cheerleader and watchdog (Tezon, 2003). Thus, community newspapers play “a significant role in defining and reflecting the perspectives of community members.” (Husselbee & Adams, 1996). Local community newspapers can build community ties, community identify as well as mobilize community members to engage in community activities through various information and news regarding the communities that the newspapers serve (Friedland & McLeod, 1999). There is also greater opportunity for audience-journalist interactivity, which can lead to critical relationships in smaller, less pluralistic communities (Lowrey, 2003). In conceptualizing interactivity, numerous scholars have made the distinction between medium interactivity from human interactivity (Bucy, 2004a; Lee, 2000; Outing, 1998; Stromer-Galley, 2000, 2004). Medium interactivity, also known as user-to-system/document or content interactivity, is communication between users and technology based on the nature of the technology itself and what it allows users to do. Human interactivity, also known as user-to-user or interpersonal interactivity, on the other hand, is communication between two or more users that takes place through a communication channel. Outing (1998) argues that truly interactive sites must facilitate communication between users and bring them together through human interactive features. Schultz (1999) also focused on human interactivity in conducting a content analysis of interactive features available on 100 U.S. newspapers online. Stromer-Galley (2000) considers human interactivity to be more interactive than medium interactivity and suggests it to be the foundation for public deliberation online. The focus on human interactivity by various communication scholars speaks to the importance of democratic deliberation online through news websites as there has long been concern with the top-down, one-way communication model of newspapers. Media critics argue that traditional mass media largely produce messages independently from the very news audiences they serve (Habermas, 1962; Schultz, 1999), and that they have not provided opportunities for citizen dialogue or political discussion (Barber, 1984; Habermas, 1996). Through interactivity, online news publications afford audiences with a sense of agency (e.g., increased choice, personalization, customization, and interpersonal communication opportunities) through the use of interactive features. In conceptualizing interactivity for news presentation online, Deuze (2003) translates interactivity dimensions for the design of news websites into navigational interactivity, adaptive interactivity and functional interactivity. Navigational interactivity, much like medium interactivity, allows users to “navigate” a site through hyperlinks and menu bars. Adaptive interactivity, a sort of cross between both medium and human interactivity, allows users' experiences to have consequences on site content. Functional interactivity, like human interactivity, allows users to communicate with each other. Similarly, Chung (2008) found four types of interactive features that facilitate different news presentations online: medium, medium/human, human/medium and human interactive features. Features representing medium interactivity rely on the technology to allow users to select and elicit choice options. Medium/human interactive features, or features that provide interactive tailoring, allow users to personalize information to their liking much like that available through push technology. Human/medium interactive features that allow users to submit customized perspectives and opinions further provide the audience with a sense of ownership. Finally, interactive options that promote human interactivity facilitate user-to-user mutual communication. In this study we conceptualize interactivity as a multidimensional construct with different types of interactive features facilitating different forms of news presentation styles. As suggested by Chung (2008), four primary interactive news presentation styles exist: 1) presentation of news with features that allow audiences to experience news stories through increased choice options, such as different modalities; 2) presentation of news with personalized tailoring options; 3) presentation of news with options for customized opinions and stories; and 4) presentation of news with interpersonal communication opportunities. Each distinct news presentation style provides news consumers with unique engagement experiences, some providing more agentic news consumptions experiences than others. Interactivity and its Outcomes Studies have identified satisfaction as one of the most obvious outcomes of increased interactivity (Rafaeli, 1988). The marketing literature shows that satisfaction is a strong predictor of behavioral intention. User satisfaction of a site is a desirable design goal as it may lead to users spending more time on a site, revisiting the site and even recommending it to other users (Zhang & Gisela, 2000). There has been growing interest in identifying features that can enhance user satisfaction and loyalty to the Web as this can enable the long-term relationships critical to the success of these ventures, including online news sites (Zviran, Glezer, & Avni,, 2006). Research also shows that Web site design characteristics affect customer evaluations of online channel service quality and risk, which subsequently leads to online channel use (Montoya-Weiss, Voss, & Grewal, 2003). Measures such as total site usability, design features, information, and Web site quality appear to be relevant indicators of site success (Chang, Torkzadeha & Dhillon, 2004). Thus, it is critical to examine satisfaction as an outcome variable to interactive news presentation styles. While some research reports on the complex nature of interactive presentation (Bucy, 2004b; Sundar, 2000; Sundar, Kalyanaraman & Brown, 2003), it is generally considered a positive characteristic of new media. Newhagen and Rafaeli (1996) argue that interactivity used appropriately can determine the success or failure of a website. Rafaeli (1988) further writes that the consequences of interactivity are satisfaction, motivation, sense of fun, cognition and learning. More recently, Rafaeli and Ariel (2007) state that there is a preponderance of field evidence pointing to the positive outcomes of interactivity. Sundar et al. (2003) found that level of website interactivity influenced individuals' perceptions of and levels of agreement with political candidates and their policy positions. Similarly, in the advertising and business disciplines, Cho and Leckenby (1999) found higher degrees of interactivity yielded more positive advertising effects. Wu (1999) also found interactivity to have a positive impact on user attitudes. Furthermore, Ghose and Dou (1998) found that the likelihood of getting into the Lycos Top 5% list becomes stronger as the total number of interactive functions found in a given site increases. Berthon, Pitt, and Watson (1996) suggest that interactivity level of a site would be critical in converting visitors to customers, and Light and Wakeman (2001) suggest that the relationships between the site and the users change as the level of interactivity also changes. Teo, Oh, Liu, and Wei (2003) also found that increased levels of interactivity on websites have positive effects on satisfaction, effectiveness, efficiency, value, and overall attitude towards a website. They operationalize different levels of interactivity by providing only product information for low levels of interactivity, included feedback forms and search engines for medium levels of interactivity and further included online guestbooks, forums and chats for high levels of interactivity. On the other hand, researchers have also found that interactivity has no significant effect on customer satisfaction (Shankar, Smith, & Rangaswamy, 2003) and that interactivity may even have negative advertising effects (Bezjian-Avery, Calder, & Iacobucci, 1998). Thus, the benefits of interactivity in general and on online news sites in particular have not been consistently established in empirical studies. Limited research shows that news audiences find the immediate back-and-forth communication valuable with interactive features, such as e-mail links and chat functions, offering the potential to recreate community (Pew, 2004). In addition, there is a dearth of research regarding smaller, rural newspapers, and even less is known about rural weekly newspapers. Smaller community-based newspapers deserve more attention as they can offer increased audience-journalist connectivity and result in positive outcomes in engaging the community. Based on the above review of literature and conceptualization of interactivity, the following research questions and hypotheses were developed: RQ1:Is there a relationship between use of interactive features and perceived satisfaction of a community news website? RQ2:Is engagement with a certain news presentation style associated with more positive perceptions (perceived satisfaction) of a community news website? In addition, while the relationship between satisfaction and use of specific types of online news presentation styles has not been examined, Teo et al.'s research (2003) found that features allowing human-human communication and customization opportunities on a website led to higher perceived satisfaction of a product. Thus, this study predicts the following: H1:Use of customization features will be a positive predictor of perceived satisfaction toward a community news website. H2:Use of interpersonal human interactive features will be a positive predictor of perceived satisfaction toward a community news website. Method Data Collection The data were collected during Spring 2008 using a Web-based survey, which was launched through KeySurvey.com. As a statewide survey in partnership with the Kentucky Press Association (KPA), the survey targeted online community news audiences in Kentucky. Community newspapers in this study are defined as having a circulation of less than 50,000 (Lauterer, 2006). Two major daily newspapers in Kentucky, The Louisville Courier-Journal and The Lexington Herald-Leader are excluded from this analysis because their circulation exceeds 50,000. In the first stage, we requested help from all community newspaper editors from the KPA to host the survey on their homepage. A personalized e-mail invitation was sent to all 145 community news editors and periodic reminders were sent in the following weeks. In addition, newspaper owners were contacted directly to help encourage participation in hosting the survey. As a result, a total of 10 community newspapers hosted the survey representing one daily and nine weekly publications. The newspapers participating in this study serve mostly rural communities from 120 counties (see Appendix for details). The survey was active for roughly 14 weeks. The host newspapers sponsored a news-type ad to entice users to participate in the survey. In order to increase participation in the survey, the initial screen after the link was clicked informed participants that they would be automatically entered into a drawing for a gift card upon completion of the survey. The link then led the survey participants to the Informed Consent form, which then made the link to the actual survey available. Relevant characteristics of the sample are reported in Table 1. In general, about 52 percent of the participants are female and 99 percent is white. The mean age is 48.67 (SD = 13.25). In addition, participants visited their community news sites about 4 times a week and spent about 33 minutes per day. Table 1 Profiles of Survey Respondents Gender . Male 48.1% Female 51.9% Age . 18–25 3.9% 26–35 15.5% 36–45 20.7% 46–55 27.2% 56–65 23.3% Over 65 9.5% Race/Ethnicity . White 99.7% Black/African American 0.4% Asian 0.4% Native American 0.4% Household income . Less than $25,000 14.0% $25,000–34,999 13.5% $35,000–49,999 18.7% $50,000–74,999 23.0% $75,000–99,999 13.5% $100,000 or more 17.4% Education level . Completed high school or less 13.0% Some college 26.9% Associate's degree 13.4% Master's degree 18.9% Graduate/professional degree 27.7% Frequency of visits to site . 4 times a week . Duration of site visits . 33 minutes per day . Gender . Male 48.1% Female 51.9% Age . 18–25 3.9% 26–35 15.5% 36–45 20.7% 46–55 27.2% 56–65 23.3% Over 65 9.5% Race/Ethnicity . White 99.7% Black/African American 0.4% Asian 0.4% Native American 0.4% Household income . Less than $25,000 14.0% $25,000–34,999 13.5% $35,000–49,999 18.7% $50,000–74,999 23.0% $75,000–99,999 13.5% $100,000 or more 17.4% Education level . Completed high school or less 13.0% Some college 26.9% Associate's degree 13.4% Master's degree 18.9% Graduate/professional degree 27.7% Frequency of visits to site . 4 times a week . Duration of site visits . 33 minutes per day . Open in new tab Table 1 Profiles of Survey Respondents Gender . Male 48.1% Female 51.9% Age . 18–25 3.9% 26–35 15.5% 36–45 20.7% 46–55 27.2% 56–65 23.3% Over 65 9.5% Race/Ethnicity . White 99.7% Black/African American 0.4% Asian 0.4% Native American 0.4% Household income . Less than $25,000 14.0% $25,000–34,999 13.5% $35,000–49,999 18.7% $50,000–74,999 23.0% $75,000–99,999 13.5% $100,000 or more 17.4% Education level . Completed high school or less 13.0% Some college 26.9% Associate's degree 13.4% Master's degree 18.9% Graduate/professional degree 27.7% Frequency of visits to site . 4 times a week . Duration of site visits . 33 minutes per day . Gender . Male 48.1% Female 51.9% Age . 18–25 3.9% 26–35 15.5% 36–45 20.7% 46–55 27.2% 56–65 23.3% Over 65 9.5% Race/Ethnicity . White 99.7% Black/African American 0.4% Asian 0.4% Native American 0.4% Household income . Less than $25,000 14.0% $25,000–34,999 13.5% $35,000–49,999 18.7% $50,000–74,999 23.0% $75,000–99,999 13.5% $100,000 or more 17.4% Education level . Completed high school or less 13.0% Some college 26.9% Associate's degree 13.4% Master's degree 18.9% Graduate/professional degree 27.7% Frequency of visits to site . 4 times a week . Duration of site visits . 33 minutes per day . Open in new tab The survey consisted of a self-administered questionnaire that asked respondents regarding their frequency of use of specific interactive features. In addition to basic demographic questions, the questionnaire also assessed respondents' attitude toward site and satisfaction. The final sample size was 239. A total of 406 individuals participated in the survey and 239 completed it. The completion rate for the survey was 58.9 percent. Measurements Independent Variables Respondents were asked to indicate how frequently they use various interactive features on their online community newspaper. Prior literature informed the inclusion of 14 interactive features generally offered by online news sites in this study (Chan-Olmsted & Park, 2000; Massey & Levy, 1999; McMillan, 2002; Noar et al., 2006; Schultz, 1999; Stromer-Galley, 2000). The response scale ranged from 1 (not at all) to 7 (very frequently). These features were then conceptually grouped based on prior literature to classify distinct interactive news presentation styles (Chung, 2008; Deuze, 2003; Massey & Levy, 1999; Schultz, 1999; Stromer-Galley, 2000). First, interactive features that provide increased choice selections were represented by audio, video, and Webcam features (M = 2.26, SD = 1.48, Cronbach's alpha = .76); second, interactive features that provide personalized tailoring were represented by e-newsletters, search features, alerts features and RSS (M = 2.50, SD = 1.37, Cronbach's alpha = .73); third, interactive features that allow customized opinions were represented by content submissions, letter-to-the-editor, and e-mail byline links (M = 3.24, SD = 1.67, Cronbach's alpha = .67); fourth, features that allow person-to-person communication were represented by chat features, Q&As, blogs, and forums (M = 1.64, SD = .94, Cronbach's alpha = .74). The individual features were summed and then averaged to create scales that represent different interactive news presentation styles. The scores for the scales ranged from 1 to 7, with smaller values indicating lower levels of interactive feature use. We also included additional variables, such as how often participants visited the site and the duration they spent on the site to assess if intensity of use affects perception of satisfaction as such associations between uses and perceptions are well documented in the literature (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan & Signorielli, 1994; Morgan & Shanahan, 1997; Flanagin & Metzger, 2000; Johnson & Kaye, 2004). We specifically asked “During an average week, on how many days do you visit your community newspapers' Website?” and “On days when you visit your community newspaper's news site, how many minutes/hours do you spend on the site?” Dependent Variable The perceived satisfaction scale was constructed by summing six questions about attitude toward website (Chen & Wells, 1999). Participants were asked to indicate their agreement with the modified questions: 1) My community news site builds a relationship with me; 2) I would like to visit my community news site again; 3) I am satisfied with the services of my community news site; 4) I feel comfortable in surfing my community news site; 5) My community news site is a good place to spend my time; and 6) I would rate my community news site as one of the best. The variable derived from this scale (M = 4.75, SD = 1.48, Cronbach's alpha = .92) was produced by the same method as that used for the independent measures and had scores ranging from 1 to 7, with smaller values indicating lower levels of perceived satisfaction. Data Analysis To answer the research questions and hypotheses, we first ran a correlation analysis to identify the relationships between use of various interactive features and levels of perceived satisfaction (RQ1). Following this analysis, a hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess predictor variables for perceived satisfaction (RQ2). Prior research also found that demographic variables, such as gender and age, are associated with different uses of interactive features (Chung, 2008) and differences in perceptions about technology in general (Schumacher & Morahan-Martin, 2001), thus such demographic variables were also examined. In the regression analysis, we entered the demographic and site usage variables together in the first block and the interactive news presentation scales in the second block. We followed these procedures to control for the effects of all other variables to specifically examine the relationship between the four main presentation styles on satisfaction. Multicollinearity tests through such parameters as tolerance and VIF scores revealed that there were no high correlations among the independent variables. Results As shown in Table 2, in general, online news audiences use interactive features moderately to somewhat infrequently. Content submission features were used most frequently (M = 4.07, SD = 2.30) followed by search features (mean = 3.44, SD = 2.07) and letters-to-the-editor (mean = 3.38, SD = 2.25). Chat features (mean = 1.37; SD = 1.04), Webcams (mean = 1.47, SD = 1.31) and, Q&As (mean = 1.56, SD = 1.17) were used least frequently. When grouped conceptually for presentation style, customization features were used most frequently and interpersonal features used least frequently. See Table 1 for details. Table 2 Mean Scores of Interactive Feature Usage Interactive Feature . Mean (SD) . Customization Content submissions 4.07 (2.30)  features M = 3.24; Letters-to-the-editor 3.38 (2.25)  SD = 1.67 E-mail bylines 2.34 (1.92) Personalization Search 3.44 (2.07)  features M = 2.50; Alerts 2.91 (2.14)  SD = 1.37 E-newsletters 2.30 (1.91) RSS 1.66 (1.42) Choice features Video 2.88 (2.08)  M = 2.26 Audio 2.48 (1.97)  SD = 1.48 Webcam 1.47 (1.31) Interpersonal features Forums 2.14 (1.68)  M = 1.64; Blog 1.72 (1.42)  SD = .94 Q&A 1.56 (1.17) Chat 1.37 (1.04) Interactive Feature . Mean (SD) . Customization Content submissions 4.07 (2.30)  features M = 3.24; Letters-to-the-editor 3.38 (2.25)  SD = 1.67 E-mail bylines 2.34 (1.92) Personalization Search 3.44 (2.07)  features M = 2.50; Alerts 2.91 (2.14)  SD = 1.37 E-newsletters 2.30 (1.91) RSS 1.66 (1.42) Choice features Video 2.88 (2.08)  M = 2.26 Audio 2.48 (1.97)  SD = 1.48 Webcam 1.47 (1.31) Interpersonal features Forums 2.14 (1.68)  M = 1.64; Blog 1.72 (1.42)  SD = .94 Q&A 1.56 (1.17) Chat 1.37 (1.04) Interactive features: 7-point response scale from not at all (1) to very frequently (7) Open in new tab Table 2 Mean Scores of Interactive Feature Usage Interactive Feature . Mean (SD) . Customization Content submissions 4.07 (2.30)  features M = 3.24; Letters-to-the-editor 3.38 (2.25)  SD = 1.67 E-mail bylines 2.34 (1.92) Personalization Search 3.44 (2.07)  features M = 2.50; Alerts 2.91 (2.14)  SD = 1.37 E-newsletters 2.30 (1.91) RSS 1.66 (1.42) Choice features Video 2.88 (2.08)  M = 2.26 Audio 2.48 (1.97)  SD = 1.48 Webcam 1.47 (1.31) Interpersonal features Forums 2.14 (1.68)  M = 1.64; Blog 1.72 (1.42)  SD = .94 Q&A 1.56 (1.17) Chat 1.37 (1.04) Interactive Feature . Mean (SD) . Customization Content submissions 4.07 (2.30)  features M = 3.24; Letters-to-the-editor 3.38 (2.25)  SD = 1.67 E-mail bylines 2.34 (1.92) Personalization Search 3.44 (2.07)  features M = 2.50; Alerts 2.91 (2.14)  SD = 1.37 E-newsletters 2.30 (1.91) RSS 1.66 (1.42) Choice features Video 2.88 (2.08)  M = 2.26 Audio 2.48 (1.97)  SD = 1.48 Webcam 1.47 (1.31) Interpersonal features Forums 2.14 (1.68)  M = 1.64; Blog 1.72 (1.42)  SD = .94 Q&A 1.56 (1.17) Chat 1.37 (1.04) Interactive features: 7-point response scale from not at all (1) to very frequently (7) Open in new tab In answering RQ1, we used correlation analysis. As shown in Table 3, use of interactive features is strongly correlated with each other. Results further indicate that use of interactive features is positively associated with perceived satisfaction of the news site with the exception of forums and Q&A features. Among the significant relationships, all but the associations between perceived satisfaction and blogs (r = .14, p < .05) and Webcams (r = .17, p < .05) were significant at p < .00. In particular, the relationship between perceived satisfaction and use of the search feature (r = .35), byline link feature (r = .33) and video feature (r = .32) resulted in the strongest positive associations. Table 3 Correlations Between Use of Interactive Features and Perceived Satisfaction . BL . BG . FR . SR . AD . VD . EN . AL . CS . LE . QA . RSS . CT . WC . SF . Byline (BL) – .44*** .38*** .44*** .50*** .45*** .46*** .38*** .27*** .40*** .43*** .34*** .33*** .30*** .33*** Blog (BG) – .54*** .29*** .38*** .33*** .42*** .33*** .17* .32*** .48*** .40*** .41*** .36*** .14* Forum (FR) – .24*** .41*** .32*** .46*** .38*** .19** .29*** .43*** .36*** .38*** .40*** .04 Search (SR) – .59*** .60*** .45*** .43*** .33*** .37*** .31*** .28*** .26*** .22*** .35*** Audio (AD) – .85*** .70*** .68*** .31*** .34*** .38*** .34*** .41*** .36*** .29*** Video (VD) – .62*** .60** .27*** .31*** .34*** .28*** .37*** .28*** .32*** E-newsletters (EN) – .78*** .32*** .33*** .49*** .35*** .38*** .27*** .22** Alerts (AL) – .39*** .39*** .34*** .21** .38*** .28*** .26*** Content Submission (CS) – .55*** .16* .21** .11 .16* .28*** Letters-to-Editor (LE) – .33*** .28*** .23** .20** .19** Q&A (QA) – .58*** .52*** .39*** .11 RSS (RSS) – .39*** .36*** .19** Chat (CT) – .52*** .19** Webcam (WC) – .17* Satisfaction (SF) – . BL . BG . FR . SR . AD . VD . EN . AL . CS . LE . QA . RSS . CT . WC . SF . Byline (BL) – .44*** .38*** .44*** .50*** .45*** .46*** .38*** .27*** .40*** .43*** .34*** .33*** .30*** .33*** Blog (BG) – .54*** .29*** .38*** .33*** .42*** .33*** .17* .32*** .48*** .40*** .41*** .36*** .14* Forum (FR) – .24*** .41*** .32*** .46*** .38*** .19** .29*** .43*** .36*** .38*** .40*** .04 Search (SR) – .59*** .60*** .45*** .43*** .33*** .37*** .31*** .28*** .26*** .22*** .35*** Audio (AD) – .85*** .70*** .68*** .31*** .34*** .38*** .34*** .41*** .36*** .29*** Video (VD) – .62*** .60** .27*** .31*** .34*** .28*** .37*** .28*** .32*** E-newsletters (EN) – .78*** .32*** .33*** .49*** .35*** .38*** .27*** .22** Alerts (AL) – .39*** .39*** .34*** .21** .38*** .28*** .26*** Content Submission (CS) – .55*** .16* .21** .11 .16* .28*** Letters-to-Editor (LE) – .33*** .28*** .23** .20** .19** Q&A (QA) – .58*** .52*** .39*** .11 RSS (RSS) – .39*** .36*** .19** Chat (CT) – .52*** .19** Webcam (WC) – .17* Satisfaction (SF) – * Note. p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001. Open in new tab Table 3 Correlations Between Use of Interactive Features and Perceived Satisfaction . BL . BG . FR . SR . AD . VD . EN . AL . CS . LE . QA . RSS . CT . WC . SF . Byline (BL) – .44*** .38*** .44*** .50*** .45*** .46*** .38*** .27*** .40*** .43*** .34*** .33*** .30*** .33*** Blog (BG) – .54*** .29*** .38*** .33*** .42*** .33*** .17* .32*** .48*** .40*** .41*** .36*** .14* Forum (FR) – .24*** .41*** .32*** .46*** .38*** .19** .29*** .43*** .36*** .38*** .40*** .04 Search (SR) – .59*** .60*** .45*** .43*** .33*** .37*** .31*** .28*** .26*** .22*** .35*** Audio (AD) – .85*** .70*** .68*** .31*** .34*** .38*** .34*** .41*** .36*** .29*** Video (VD) – .62*** .60** .27*** .31*** .34*** .28*** .37*** .28*** .32*** E-newsletters (EN) – .78*** .32*** .33*** .49*** .35*** .38*** .27*** .22** Alerts (AL) – .39*** .39*** .34*** .21** .38*** .28*** .26*** Content Submission (CS) – .55*** .16* .21** .11 .16* .28*** Letters-to-Editor (LE) – .33*** .28*** .23** .20** .19** Q&A (QA) – .58*** .52*** .39*** .11 RSS (RSS) – .39*** .36*** .19** Chat (CT) – .52*** .19** Webcam (WC) – .17* Satisfaction (SF) – . BL . BG . FR . SR . AD . VD . EN . AL . CS . LE . QA . RSS . CT . WC . SF . Byline (BL) – .44*** .38*** .44*** .50*** .45*** .46*** .38*** .27*** .40*** .43*** .34*** .33*** .30*** .33*** Blog (BG) – .54*** .29*** .38*** .33*** .42*** .33*** .17* .32*** .48*** .40*** .41*** .36*** .14* Forum (FR) – .24*** .41*** .32*** .46*** .38*** .19** .29*** .43*** .36*** .38*** .40*** .04 Search (SR) – .59*** .60*** .45*** .43*** .33*** .37*** .31*** .28*** .26*** .22*** .35*** Audio (AD) – .85*** .70*** .68*** .31*** .34*** .38*** .34*** .41*** .36*** .29*** Video (VD) – .62*** .60** .27*** .31*** .34*** .28*** .37*** .28*** .32*** E-newsletters (EN) – .78*** .32*** .33*** .49*** .35*** .38*** .27*** .22** Alerts (AL) – .39*** .39*** .34*** .21** .38*** .28*** .26*** Content Submission (CS) – .55*** .16* .21** .11 .16* .28*** Letters-to-Editor (LE) – .33*** .28*** .23** .20** .19** Q&A (QA) – .58*** .52*** .39*** .11 RSS (RSS) – .39*** .36*** .19** Chat (CT) – .52*** .19** Webcam (WC) – .17* Satisfaction (SF) – * Note. p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001. Open in new tab In order to address RQ2 we used regression analysis. As shown in Table 4 this model accounted for about 19 percent of the variance in the dependent measure (perceived satisfaction). In the first regression, no demographic variables surfaced as predictors of perceived satisfaction. The two site usage variables also failed to yield significant relationships. When the four interactive news presentation styles were added to the regression equation, the model was significantly improved, R2 = .186, R2 change = .143, p < .00. All demographic and usage variables remained insignificant and did not surface as predictors of perceived satisfaction. The addition of three of the four interactive presentation variables also yielded no significant relationships. However, the customization features (β = .26, p < .01) surfaced as a significant positive predictor for perceived satisfaction toward the news website. Thus, hypothesis 1 is supported but hypothesis 2 is rejected. Table 4 Hierarchical Regression Analysis of Factors Influencing Perceived Satisfaction of a News Site Predictor variables . Block I . Block II . Incremental R2 . Age –.06 –.05 Gender –.13 –.10 Education .02 –.001 Income level .02 .000 .043 Frequency of site visit/week .15 .11 Duration of site visit/day .01 .05 Medium interactive features .08 Personalization features .19 Customization features .26** Human interactive features −.14 .143**a Predictor variables . Block I . Block II . Incremental R2 . Age –.06 –.05 Gender –.13 –.10 Education .02 –.001 Income level .02 .000 .043 Frequency of site visit/week .15 .11 Duration of site visit/day .01 .05 Medium interactive features .08 Personalization features .19 Customization features .26** Human interactive features −.14 .143**a * p < .05 ** p lt; .01. a cumulative R2 = .186 Gender: female = 1 and male = 2 Interactive features: 7-point response scale from not at all (1) to very frequently (7). Open in new tab Table 4 Hierarchical Regression Analysis of Factors Influencing Perceived Satisfaction of a News Site Predictor variables . Block I . Block II . Incremental R2 . Age –.06 –.05 Gender –.13 –.10 Education .02 –.001 Income level .02 .000 .043 Frequency of site visit/week .15 .11 Duration of site visit/day .01 .05 Medium interactive features .08 Personalization features .19 Customization features .26** Human interactive features −.14 .143**a Predictor variables . Block I . Block II . Incremental R2 . Age –.06 –.05 Gender –.13 –.10 Education .02 –.001 Income level .02 .000 .043 Frequency of site visit/week .15 .11 Duration of site visit/day .01 .05 Medium interactive features .08 Personalization features .19 Customization features .26** Human interactive features −.14 .143**a * p < .05 ** p lt; .01. a cumulative R2 = .186 Gender: female = 1 and male = 2 Interactive features: 7-point response scale from not at all (1) to very frequently (7). Open in new tab Discussion and Conclusion The implementation of interactivity through the use of interactive features had brought much anticipation to news organizations as a method to reconnect with information consumers following intense criticism with traditional media's one-way communication paradigm. The Internet, with the quality of interactivity, has provided hope that interactive features can further allow news audiences to become more involved in their news consumption experiences. The findings from this study indicate that indeed news audiences perceive their news consumption experiences to be positive when they are engaged by frequently using various interactive features. Correlation analysis shows that there is a robust relationship between the use of various interactive features and perceived satisfaction. In general, interactive features were used in moderation, yet the findings from this study are in contrast to Chung's 2008 study that found customization features implemented in news presentation to be used least frequently. This may be attributed to the larger online community newspaper that participated in that study as the circulation for that newspaper was more than two times larger than the largest community newspaper that participated in the current study. Such contradictory findings suggest that type and size of community can influence how certain interactive features are implemented or used. In this study we were also interested in identifying which presentation formats offered through the implementation of interactive features provide the most satisfactory news consumption experiences. Using the literature to inform our conceptual grouping of interactive features, we identified four types of online news presentation styles. When the four types of formats were created as separate scales, the regression analysis revealed that customization features alone surfaced as positive predictors of perceived satisfaction. Prior literature also points to differences in demographic and usage influences, yet this study did not yield such findings. The findings from this study also suggest that while interactive features in general are likely to lead to positive perceptions of a news site, the type of news presentation one engages in can ultimately result in more satisfactory perceptions of the site. Much of the literature indicates the critical need for a dialogic journalism, yet the interpersonal communication possibilities of a news site did not increase perceived satisfaction among users. While much literature in the communication discipline reports this importance of human interactivity and the ideals of democratic deliberation online (e.g., Barber, 1984; Habermas, 1996; Stromer-Galley, 2000), this study demonstrates the significance of customization features that allow individuals to express their views and voice personal opinions. The highest mean scores for content submissions and letters-to-the-editor indicate that these features are not only used most frequently, but frequent use of these features leads to increased levels of perceived satisfaction. On the other hand, stories that are presented with human interactive features allow news consumers to actively participate in conversation with other news consumers (horizontal communication) or communication with newsroom personnel (vertical communication). However, such opportunities for interpersonal communication are not fully exploited as is evident in the low mean scores for chat and Q&A features, nor does the use of such features produce increased levels of perceived satisfaction. Perhaps the limited availability of certain features (i.e., video features) and therefore the infrequent use of them impact users' perceived satisfaction. Online newspapers may consider employing such customization features that allow users to participate as sources of information. Content submissions enable news audiences to participate in the production of news by allowing them to write and submit stories or share photographs. These features allow users to act as citizen journalists. In addition, these features invite users to work together with journalists to make journalism more meaningful and in the process allow news consumers to have more positive and satisfactory news consumption experiences. It may be that online community news audiences do not consider online newspapers to serve as a place for interpersonal communication. Community newspapers are smaller and the local communities are tightly knit, thus local residents may not feel the urgency or the necessity in communicating with individuals online. It may also be likely that community news audiences are not ready for social media offered through online news publications. For now, it appears that the ability to express views rather than engage in two-way conversation has more intrinsic value to local online community residents. This finding contradicts research by Teo et al. (2003) who found that interpersonal interactive features elicited higher levels of perceived satisfaction. Limitations and Future Research While the findings from this study provide important information about engaging online news audiences and creating positive perceptions, this study has a few shortcomings. First, the use of a Web-based survey is an inherent weakness of this study. Respondents who feel comfortable using the Web would be more likely to participate in such a study possibly skewing the survey results. Second, the sample consisted of community residents from a rural, southern state in the U.S., which lacks a diverse population as is illustrated in the overrepresentation of Caucasians in the sample. Third, a total of only 10 newspapers hosted the survey questionnaire. The 10 newspapers represent one daily and nine weeklies from the state in which the study was implemented. The circulation of the daily was 17,600 and the weeklies had circulations between roughly 2,950 and 9,370. Thus, the number of individuals participating in the study would have been significantly influenced by the size of the circulation, and the individuals would likely contribute characteristics unique to the local communities. While extant literature points to numerous studies that use the purposive sampling method (e.g., Kaye & Johnson, 2002; Viegas, 2005; Lee & Choi, 2005), newspapers that participated in the survey do not represent all newspapers in the state. These shortcomings limit the generalizability of the current study. Moreover, the low mean scores of certain features, such as chat and Q&As, may be a reflection of the generally infrequent presence of such features and the likely unavailability of them on the 10 community websites that hosted the study. It is important to note that among the news sites that participated in the survey, all 10 provided personalization options, such as search features and e-mail updates, and customization options, such as staff contact information and content submissions. Most websites offered interpersonal communication options through forums. Some of the larger websites offered increased story telling options through video files. While all 10 sites generally offered a range of interactive features, the depth of the features that were offered varied. For example, the single daily newspaper that participated in the survey offered a wider variety of customization and interpersonal communication options than some of the weeklies that also offered all four types of presentation but were limited in the diversity of features provided. Thus, as the initial assessment of the availability of these features reveals, not all sites offered the four news presentation styles. While most sites generally provided audiences with all four types of features, a minority of the sites offered video features, for example. While interpersonal communication opportunities were available, they were not easily assessable and required user registration. Future studies should seek to take these short comings into consideration as still very little is known about the effects of news presentation on user perceptions of their news consumption experiences. While this study examined the affective domain of perceived satisfaction of users, future studies should assess whether different interactive online news presentation styles enhance the processing of information as studies have shown that interactivity could lead to cognitive overload (Bucy, 2004b). Future studies should examine antecedent (what drive/motivate people to use interactive features) and outcome (what are the results from using interactive features) variables together sorting out complex and confounding relationships tying cognitive, affective, and behavioral approaches. In addition, there is limited understanding about smaller, community newspapers that may have greater opportunities for community engagement; therefore, scholars should continue to examine local online newspapers and their efforts. References Abdulla , R. A. , Garrison , B., Salwen , M. B., Driscoll , P. D., & Casey , D. ( 2005 ). Online news credibility . In M. B. Salwen, B. Garrison, & P. D. Driscoll (Eds.), Online news and the public (pp. 147 – 164 ). Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Barber , B. ( 1984 ). Strong democracy: Participatory politics for a new age . Berkeley : University of California Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Berthon , P.L. , Pitt , L.F., & Watson , R.T. ( 1996 ). Marketing communication and the world wide web . Business Horizons , 39 , 43 – 54 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Bezjian-Avery , A. , Calder , B., & Iacobucci , D. ( 1998 ). New media interactive advertising vs. traditional advertising . Journal of Advertising Research , 38 ( 4 ), 23 – 32 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Bordewijk , J. , & Van Kaam , B. ( 1986 ). Towards a new classification of teleinformation services . Inter Media , 14 ( 1 ), 16 – 21 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Bucy , E. ( 2004a ). Interactivity in society: Locating an elusive concept . The Information Society , Nov/Dec. 20 ( 5 ), 373 – 83 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Bucy , E. ( 2004b ). The interactivity paradox: Closer to the news but confused . In E. Bucy & J. Newhagen (Eds.), Media access: Social and psychological dimensions of new technology use (pp. 47 – 72 ). Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Chan-Olmsted , S. & Park , J. ( 2000 ). From on-air to online world: examining the content and structures of broadcast TV stations' Web sites . Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly , 77 ( 2 ), 321 – 39 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Chang , J. F. , Torkzadeha , G., & Dhillon , G. ( 2004 ). Re-examining the measurement models of success for Internet commerce . Information & Management , 41 , 577 – 584 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Chen , Q. & Wells , W. ( 1999 ). Attitude toward the site . Journal of Advertising Research , 39 ( 5 ), 27 – 37 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Cho , C.-H. , & Leckenby , J. D. ( 1999 ). Interactivity as a measure of advertising effectiveness: Antecedents and consequences of interactivity in Web advertising . In M. S. Roberts (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1999 Conference of the American Academy of Advertising (pp. 162 – 179 ). Gainesville, FL : University of Florida . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Christians , C. , Ferre , J. & Fackler , P. ( 1993 ). Good News: Social Ethics and the Press . New York : Oxford University Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Chung , D. S. ( 2008 ).. Interactive features of online newspapers: Identifying patterns and predicting use of engaged readers . Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , 13 ( 3 ), 658 – 679 Retrieved October 2008 from http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/119414160/HTMLSTART. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Cross , R. & Smith , J. ( 1996 ). Consumer-focused strategies and tactics . In E. Forrest & R. Mizerski (Eds.), Interactive Marketing: The Future Present (pp. 5 – 27 ). IL, NTC Business Books. Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Csíkszentmihályi , Mihály ( 1996 ). Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention . New York : Harper Perennial . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Deuze , M. ( 2003 ). The Web and its journalisms: Considering the consequences of different types of newsmedia online . New Media & Society , 5 ( 2 ), 203 – 30 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Flanagin , A. J. & Metzger , M. J. ( 2000 ). Perceptions of Internet information credibility . Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly , 77 ( 3 ), 515 – 540 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Fortin , D. R. & Dholakia , R. R. ( 2005 ). Interactivity and vividness effects on social presence and involvement with a web-based advertisement . Journal of Business Research , 58 ( 3 ), 387 – 396 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Friedland , L. A. , & McLeod , J. M. ( 1999 ). Community integration and mass media: A reconsideration . In D. Demers & K. Viswanath (Eds.), Mass Media, Social Control, and Social Change: A Macrosocial Perspective (pp. 197 – 226 ). Ames : Iowa State University Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Gerbner , G. , Gross , L., Morgan , M., & Signorielli , N. ( 1994 ). Growing up with television: The cultivation perspective . In J. Bryant & D. Zillmann (Eds.), Perspective on media effects (pp. 17 – 40 ). Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Ghose , S. & Dou , W. Y. ( 1998 ). Interactive functions and their impacts on the appeal of internet presences sites . Journal of Advertising Research , 38 ( 2 ), 29 – 43 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Greer , J. , & Mensing , D. ( 2006 ). Evolution of online newspapers: A longitudinal content analysis, 1997-2003 . In X. Li (Ed.), Internet Newspapers: The Making of a Mainstream Medium (pp. 13 – 32 ). Mahwah, New Jersey : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Ha , L. , & James , L. ( 1998 ). Interactivity reexamined: A baseline analysis of early business websites . Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media , 42 ( 4 ), 457 – 74 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Habermas , J. ( 1962 ). The structural transformation of the public sphere: An inquiry into a category of bourgeois society . The MIT Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Habermas , J. ( 1996 ). Between facts and norms: Contributions to a discourse theory of law and democracy . The MIT Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Heeter , C. ( 1989 ). Implications of new interactive technologies for conceptualizing communication . In J. L. Salvaggio & J. Bryant (Eds.), Media Use in the Information Age (pp. 217 – 235 ). Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Husselbee , L. P. , & Adams , A. ( 1996 ). Seeking instructional value: Publication of disturbing images in small communities . Newspaper Research Journal , 17 , 39 – 52 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Jakobovits , E. B. ( 1997 ). New web sites provide tools for wading through the electronic information deluge . Scientist , 11 , 12 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Johnson , T. J. & Kaye , B. K. ( 2004 ). For whom the Web toils: How Internet experience predicts Web reliance and credibility . Atlantic Journal of Communication , 12 ( 1 ), 19 – 45 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Kaye , B. K. , & Johnson , T. J. ( 2002 ). Online and in the know: Uses and gratifications of the web for political information . Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media , 46 ( 1 ), 54 – 71 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Kenney , K. , Gorelik , A., & Mwangi , S. ( 2000 ). Interactive features of online newspapers . First Monday , 5 ( 1 ), Retrieved July 2006 from http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue5_1/kenney/. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Kim , T. & Biocca , F. ( 1997 ). Telepresence via television: Two dimensions of telepresence may have different connections to memory and persuasion . Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , 3 ( 2 ), Retrieved February 2009 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol3/issue2/kim.html. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Kiousis , S. ( 2002 ). Interactivity: A concept explication . New Media & Society , 4 ( 3 ), 355 – 83 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Lacy , S. ( 1992 ). Ideas for prospering in a changing market . Newspaper Research Journal , 13 ( 3 ), 85 – 94 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Lauterer , J. ( 2006 ). Community journalism: Relentlessly local . Chapel Hill, NC : University of North Carolina Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Lee , J. S. ( 2000 ). Interactivity: A new approach . paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference, Phoenix, AZ., August 9-12. Lee , W. N. & Choi , S. M. ( 2005 ). The role of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism in online consumers' response toward persuasive communication on the Web . Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , 11 ( 1 ), Retrieved October 2008 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue1/wnlee.html. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Li , X. ( 2006 ). Internet newspapers: The making of a mainstream medium . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Light , A. & Wakeman , I. ( 2001 ). Beyond the interface: Users' perceptions of interaction and audience on web sites . Interacting with Computers , 13 , 325 – 351 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Lowrey , W. ( 2003 ). What influences small newspapers to decide to publish online news? Newspaper Research Journal , 24 ( 3 ), 83 – 90 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Lombard , M. & Ditton , T. ( 1997 ). At the heart of it all: The concept of presence . Journal of Computer Mediated Communication , 3 ( 2 ), 1 – 40 , Retrieved February 2009 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol3/issue2/lombard.html. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Massey , B. , & Levy , M. ( 1999 ). Interactivity, online journalism, and English-language. Web newspapers in Asia . Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly , 76 ( 1 ), 138 – 51 . Crossref Search ADS McMillan , S. J. ( 2002 ). A four-part model of cyber-interactivity: Some cyber- places are more interactive than others . New Media & Society , 4 ( 2 ), 271 – 91 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Montoya-Weiss , M. M. , Voss , G. B. & Grewal , D. ( 2003 ). Determinants of online channel use and overall satisfaction with a relational, multichannel service provider . Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , 31 ( 4 ), 448 – 458 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Morgan , M. & Shanahan , J. ( 1997 ). Two decades of cultivation research: An appraisal and meta-analysis . Communication Yearbook , 20 , 1 – 45 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Morris , M. , & Ogan , C. ( 1996 ). The Internet as mass medium . Journal of Communication , 46 ( 1 ), 39 – 50 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Newhagen , J. E. & Rafaeli , S. ( 1996 ). Why communication researchers should study the internet: a dialogue . Journal of Communication , 46 , 4 – 13 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Newslink, Newspapers on the Internet ( 2004 ). retrieved May 2004 from http://www.newslink.org/news.html. Nip , J. Y. M. ( 2006 ). Exploring the second phase of public journalism . Journalism Studies , 7 ( 2 ), 212 – 236 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Noar , S. M. , Clark , A., Cole , C., & Lustria , M. L. ( 2006 ). Review of interactive safer sex web sites: Practice and potential . Health Communication , 20 ( 3 ), 233 – 41 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat Online News Association , ( 2003 ). Digital journalism credibility study. OnlineNews Association.org. Retrieved October 2003 from http://www.journalists.org. Outing , S. ( 1998 ). What exactly is “interactivity?” E & P Interactive, (December 4). Retrieved January 1999 from http://www.mediainfo.com/ephome/news/newshtm/stop/st120498.htm. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press ( 2004 ). News audiences increasingly politicized: Online news audience larger, more diverse. Retrieved January 2006 from http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=215. Rafaeli , S. ( 1988 ). Interactivity: From new media to communication . In R. Hawkins, J. Wiemann, & S. Pingree (Eds.), Advancing communication science: Merging mass and interpersonal processes (pp. 110 – 134 ). Newbury Park, CA : Sage . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Rafaeli , S. , & Ariel , Y. ( 2007 ). Assessing interactivity in computer-mediated research . In A. N. Joinson, K.Y.A McKenna., T. Postmes, & U-D. Reips (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology (pp. 71 – 88 ). Oxford University Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Rafaeli , S. & Sudweeks , F. ( 1997 ). Networked interactivity . Journal of Computer Mediated Communication , 2 ( 4 ), Retrieved Dec. 2004 from http://www.usc.edu/dept/annenberg/vol2/issue4/rafaeli.sudweeks.html. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Rogers , E. M. ( 1986 ). Communication technology: The new media in society . New York : The Free Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Rosenberry , J. ( 2005 ). Few papers use online techniques to improve public communication . Newspaper Research Journal , 26 ( 4 ), 61 – 73 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Schultz , T. ( 1999 ). Interactive options in online journalism: A content analysis of 100 U.S. newspapers . Journal of Computer Mediated Communication , 5 ( 1 ), Retrieved March 2009 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol5/issue1/schultz.html. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Schumacher , P. & Morahan-Martin , J. ( 2001 ). Gender, Internet and computer attitudes and experiences , Computers in Human Behavior , 17 ( 1 ), 95 – 110 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Shankar , V. , Smith , A. K. & Rangaswamy , A. ( 2003 ). Customer satisfaction and loyalty in online and offline environments . International Journal of Research in Marketing , 20 ( 2 ), 153 – 175 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Shannon , C. & Weaver , W. ( 1949 ). The Mathematical Theory of Communication . Urbana : University of Illinois Press . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Steuer , J. ( 1995 ). Defining virtual reality: Dimensions determining telepresence . In F. Biocca & M. R. Levy (Eds.), Communication in the Age of Virtual Reality (pp. 33 – 56 ). Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS Google Preview WorldCat COPAC Stromer-Galley , J. ( 2000 ). On-line interaction and why candidates avoid it . Journal of Communication , 50 ( 4 ), 111 – 32 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Stromer-Galley , J. ( 2004 ). Interactivity-as-product and interactivity-as-process . The Information Society , Nov/Dec., 20 ( 5 ), 391 – 94 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Sundar , S. ( 2000 ). Multimedia effects on processing and perception of online news: a study of picture, audio, and video downloads . Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly , 77 ( 3 ), 480 – 99 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Sundar , S. S. ( 2008 ). Self as source: Agency and customization in interactive media . In E. Konijn, S. Utz, M. Tanis, & S. Barnes (Eds.), Mediated Interpersonal Communication (pp. 58 – 74 ). New York : Routledge . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Sundar , S , Kalyanaraman , S., & Brown , J. ( 2003 ). Explicating Web site interactivity: impression formation effects in political campaign sites . Communication Research , 30 ( 1 ), 30 – 59 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Teo , H. H. , Oh , L. B., Liu , C., & Wei , K. K. ( 2003 ). An empirical study of the effects of interactivity on web user attitude . International Journal of Human-Computer Studies , 58 ( 3 ), 281 – 305 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Tezon , A. L. ( 2003 ). Cheerleaders, watchdogs and community builders: How rural weekly newspaper publishers in the Midwest view their roles . Grassroots Editor , 44 ( 4 ), 1 – 8 . Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Viegas , F. ( 2005 ). Bloggers' expectations of privacy and accountability: An initial survey . Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , 10 ( 3 ), Retrieved October 2008 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue3/viegas.html. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat Williams , F. , Rice , R. E., & Rogers , E. M. ( 1988 ). Research Methods and the New Media . The Free Press , New York. Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Wu , G. ( 1999 ). Perceived interactivity and attitude toward Website . In M. S. Roberts (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1999 Conference of the American Academy of Advertising (pp. 254 – 262 ). Gainesville, FL : University of Florida . Google Scholar Google Preview OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat COPAC Zhang , P. & Von Dran , G. ( 2000 ). Satisfiers and dissatisfiers: A two-factor model for website design and evaluation , Journal of the American Society for Information Science , 51 ( 14 ), 1253 – 1268 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat Zviran , M. , Glezer , C., and Avni , I. ( 2006 ). User satisfaction from commercial web sites: The effect of design and use , Information & Management , 43 ( 2 ), 157 – 178 . Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat About the Authors Deborah S. Chung (dchung@uky.edu) is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky. Her research areas focus on the participatory potential and democratic promises of new media, including the effects of new information communication technologies (ICTs) and their transformative impact on journalism practice, culture and education, and in particular, the ways through which ICTs empower information consumers. Address: School of Journalism and Telecommunications, University of Kentucky, 215 Grehan Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0042, USA Seungahn Nah (seungahn.nah@uky.edu) is an assistant professor of community communications in the Department of Community and Leadership Development at the University of Kentucky. His research interests center on communication, community, and democracy, paying particular attention to the roles of digital communication technologies in social movements, nonprofit organizations, social capital formation, deliberation, and political/civic/community engagement. Address: Department of Community and Leadership Development, University of Kentucky, 514 Garrigus Building, Lexington, KY 40546-0215, USA Appendix Participating community newspapers Newspaper Name . Circulation/size . Carrollton News-Democrat Weekly 2,951 Cynthiana Democrat Weekly 5,529 Grant County News and Express Weekly 5,661 Henry County Local Weekly 4,240 The Kentucky Standard Weekly 9,371 Pioneer News Weekly 8,373 Sentinel-News Weekly 8,309 Daily Independent Daily 17,600 Journal-Times Weekly 3,414 Morehead News Weekly 5,407 N = 10 Newspaper Name . Circulation/size . Carrollton News-Democrat Weekly 2,951 Cynthiana Democrat Weekly 5,529 Grant County News and Express Weekly 5,661 Henry County Local Weekly 4,240 The Kentucky Standard Weekly 9,371 Pioneer News Weekly 8,373 Sentinel-News Weekly 8,309 Daily Independent Daily 17,600 Journal-Times Weekly 3,414 Morehead News Weekly 5,407 N = 10 Open in new tab Appendix Participating community newspapers Newspaper Name . Circulation/size . Carrollton News-Democrat Weekly 2,951 Cynthiana Democrat Weekly 5,529 Grant County News and Express Weekly 5,661 Henry County Local Weekly 4,240 The Kentucky Standard Weekly 9,371 Pioneer News Weekly 8,373 Sentinel-News Weekly 8,309 Daily Independent Daily 17,600 Journal-Times Weekly 3,414 Morehead News Weekly 5,407 N = 10 Newspaper Name . Circulation/size . Carrollton News-Democrat Weekly 2,951 Cynthiana Democrat Weekly 5,529 Grant County News and Express Weekly 5,661 Henry County Local Weekly 4,240 The Kentucky Standard Weekly 9,371 Pioneer News Weekly 8,373 Sentinel-News Weekly 8,309 Daily Independent Daily 17,600 Journal-Times Weekly 3,414 Morehead News Weekly 5,407 N = 10 Open in new tab © 2009 International Communication Association
TI - The Effects of Interactive News Presentation on Perceived User Satisfaction of Online Community Newspapers
JF - Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
DO - 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01473.x
DA - 2009-07-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/the-effects-of-interactive-news-presentation-on-perceived-user-5OjZPI6J2r
SP - 855
EP - 874
VL - 14
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -