News in perspective What is news to news users in the digital age?

The rise of new technologies has profoundly reshaped the news landscape, characterized by three intertwined elements: genre-blending news content, multifaceted digital platforms, and the prevalence of algorithmic recommendations. As news consumption evolves in this new landscape, users’ perception of news has naturally shifted. Historically, the question “What is news?” was defined by institutional journalism. But what is news to news users in the digital age?
This dissertation explores users’ news perception through three empirical chapters, focusing on content, platforms, and algorithms. The first study measures news content on a spectrum along abstract dimensions, based on genre cues recognizable to news users. The second study investigates how varying definitions of news shape users’ news repertoires on digital platforms. The final study examines how genre cues contribute to user perception, particularly in the context of algorithmic news recommendations.
Using innovative data collection methods, such as data donation and online field experiments, alongside advanced computational techniques, this dissertation offers both theoretical and methodological insights. By emphasizing the relevance of a user-centric focus in news research, it sheds light on how users navigate the new news landscape and broadly contributes to a more informed and democratic society.