Mapping Media Perceptions: Unveiling the Attitude Networks towards News Media

Abstract

This article introduces a novel approach to understanding audience attitudes towards news media by applying network analysis, conceptualizing attitudes as networks. We delve into the connections among various cognitive and affective evaluative reactions to South Korean news outlets. By collecting survey data on general news media as well as specific organizations (N = 500) and conducting pair-wise comparisons, we uncover unique patterns that elucidate the complexity of audience reactions. Results reveal that people’s attitude networks vary across news outlets, illuminating subtle structural differences. This insight goes beyond merely comparing aggregated scores across media, providing a richer perspective on audience-media interactions.