669
Views
10
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
The Forum

Attention as a Valuable Resource

 
Translator disclaimer

Keeping up with the news and monitoring public affairs are typically considered civic obligations. Yet there is a great deal of competition for people’s limited attention. Some studies explore when people tune in to the news and what sorts of public affairs content attract our time, but these topics warrant more research. Scholars concerned with the news media’s political role must better understand what leads people to the news in the first place. The practical import of this work is pronounced in an era where news organizations struggle to make ends meet. The purpose of this essay is to categorize what we know about what motivates people to tune in to news and then to propose a research agenda for analyzing attention to public affairs content.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Natalie Jomini Stroud

Natalie Jomini Stroud is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. This essay was written as part of the Engaging News Project’s work with the Democracy Fund.
 

Related research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.