Motivational Use of Web News: Motives, Activity, and Evaluations

This dissertation examines predictable links among motives, three types of activity levels: selectivity, involvement, and utility, which could influence evaluations of news use: affinity, dependency, and satisfaction. A survey on respondents at a university campus community was conducted for data collection. A total of 414 analyzable responses were used for analysis. The results found that frequent Web news users had affinity with, dependency on, and satisfaction with Web news. Exciting entertainment and personal/social utility motives play determining roles in predicting positives evaluations of Web news. Two activity levels: cognitive involvement and utility of Web news use, were important mediating factors between Web news motives and evaluations.

Autorentext

Seok Kang is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research interest is new media impacts. His articles have appeared in Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Newspaper Research Journals, CyberPsychology and Behavior, and Public Relations Review.