Commercialization of Technology News |
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| Authors: | Hsiang Iris Chyi Angela M Lee |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin, USA. Web: ?irischyi.com chyi@mail.utexas.edu;3. School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA. E-mail: angela.lee@utdallas.edu. Web: ?http://www.utdallas.edu/atec/lee/ |
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| Abstract: | While technology news has become a major news genre, the coverage of high-tech products has raised concerns regarding the commercialization of journalism. Drawing on salience transfer and exemplification theory, this study explores how The New York Times and USA Today covered Apple products along quantity and quality dimensions. A content analysis documented a landslide in the amount of coverage on Apple products in both newspapers. Both iPhones and iPads were disproportionately over-covered in relation to their market share. Over one-third of the headlines about the iPhone covered the product favorably. The New York Times published more stories about these gadgets than USA Today did, while USA Today was twice as likely to portray iPhones in a positive light. These findings have raised questions about the commercialization of technology news and its impact on journalism. |
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| Keywords: | Apple products content analysis exemplification theory media ethics object salience technology news |
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