Shaping Online News Performance

The author offers a comprehensive portrait of online news performance in Western countries in changing media environments. Drawing on a content analysis of 48 news outlets from different types of media organization in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and USA, Edda Humprecht investigates the complex interplay of systemic and organizational dynamics and their impact on online news content, showing that the performance of online news media strongly varies among different media outlets. Less profit oriented outlets and those with a focus on information generally perform well offering hard news, diversity, critical distance, or analytical depth. This suggests that the divide between high and low-performing outlets is tied to the news outlet's capacity and willingness to strike a balance between their profit orientation and their normative role as information providers. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that different dimensions of news performance are more pronounced in certain countries. This book provides new theoretical perspectives and methods for political and media scholars, and insights for journalists, policymakers, and concerned citizens.

Edda Humprecht is Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland. She holds a PhD from the University of Zurich and has worked as a journalist for several German and French news outlets. Her research focuses on the intersection of comparative media systems, political communication, and journalism studies. Her articles have appeared in the Journal of Communication, International Journal of Press/Politics, Journalism Studies, and many others.