How Headline Strategies and News Sources Affect Number of User Clicks on WeChat
Journal
Journalism Practice
Journal Volume
17
Journal Issue
8
Pages
1696-1721
Date Issued
2023
Author(s)
Sun, Yuting
Abstract
This study used 2,623 WeChat article headlines on the Chengdu school food safety event and employed quantitative content analysis to explore the dynamic relationship of headline strategy (i.e., headline style and headline frame) and news source with user clicks at distinct phases of the issue–attention cycle. The results first revealed that various types of headline styles affect the number of user clicks based on the issue–attention phase, but no single type dominates public attention at any phase. Second, reader attention could be attracted using the information with the singleton detection mode. However, the feature search mode could filter official-oriented discourse. Third, the “treatment recommendation” headline frame, which clearly summarises the core of texts, generally lacked executability and had a poor effect on audience mobilisation. Fourth, readers depended on certain media channels under low-choice media environment, and information issued by administrative sources was not widely spread because of the limitation on their functions and specific targets. Finally, news from traditional mainstream media, online communities, and independent sources were more click-attractive news than the news from other sources, thus demonstrating a complementary relationship between official reports and social media discourses. ? 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Subjects
Food safety
headline strategy
news sources
user clicks
WeChat public platform
SDGs
Type
journal article