Chae

Online Public Forums
Within Private
Institutions
Young-Gil Chae
Radio-TV-Film
UT at Austin

Apr. 09 2005 Online Journalism Symposium2
Public Forum
 A place or space “in which persons come together
to discuss issues, form opinions or plan action”
 “conversational arena” in which “[people can] talk
with each other in pubic settings about public
issues”
 “a communication space that allows for many-to-
many communication in which citizens can treat of
public affairs in public”
Space/ Participant/ Issue

Online Public Forum
ONLINE
FORUM
Technological
Aspect
-Interactivity
-Deliberation
Psychological
Aspect
- Anonymity
Social
Aspect
- Public policy
- Market

Technological Aspect
 Interactivity
 Inclusion of users
 Promoting reciprocity enhancing conversation
between users
 Deliberation
 Providing opportunity to have “critical-rational
reflection”

Psychological Aspect
 User Anonymity
 Meaningless and uncertain relation?
 Internalize and reinforce opinions of users
 Help form collective identity
 Reflection
 Enabling user to ‘observe’ and ‘contemplate’
conversations
 The power of lurkers
 Passive free riders? Or Active users?

Social Aspect
 Public Policy
 Digital divide
 Censorship
 Market values
 Forms and uses of technology
 Other regulators
 Norms/ Law

Research Purpose
 How is a communication technology
constructed and used for public sphere in
U.S?
 What are the characteristics of the technological
aspects of the online forums in online
newspapers?
 Forms: Format and Usability
 Uses: Interactivity and Deliberation

Methodology
 Content analysis
 Sampling
 Frame: Who’s who (Columbia Journalism Review)
 Samples
 Forum: 25 local online newspapers out of 5
publications (N =12)
 Message: War in Iraq, Sep. 29 and Oct. 1, N = 83,
The Star Ledger and Trenton Times (Advance)

Sampled newspapers
 Advance Publications
Allentown Times, Star-Ledger, Trenton Times, Plain Dealer, Post-
Standard
 Cox Enterprises, Inc.
Daily Advance, Rocky Mount Telegram, Middletown Journal, Austin
American-Statesman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 Gannett
Journal and Courier, Clarion-Ledger, Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle, Argus Leader, Sheboygan Press
 Hearst Corporation
Beaumont Enterprise, Houston Chronicle, Laredo Morning Times,
Midland Reporter, San Antonio Express-News
 Knight-Ridder
Charlotte Observer, News-Sentinel, El Nuevo Herald, Philadelphia
Inquirer, Wichita Eagle

Measurement
Form Format - Threaded, Serial, other
Usability - Location (Depth)
- Procedure (Authentication)
Uses Interactivity - Responsiveness: The number of
messages posted on the forum in
response to the previous message
Deliberation - Substantive and rational discussion:
The degree of knowledge and logic of a
message

Findings (Form)
 Adoption of online forum: 52%
Advance 5/5 Allentown Times, Star-Ledger, Trenton
Times, Plain Dealer, Post-Standard
COX 3/5 Daily Advance, Rocky Mount Telegram,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Garnett 2/5 Journal and Courier, Argus Leader
Hearst 1/5 Houston Chronicle
Knight-Ridder 1/5 News-Sentinel

.
 Format
 Threaded: 58% (Advance, COX)
 Serial: 42% (Garnett, Hearst, Knight-Ridder)
 Sharing technology
 Same template: Advance (5/5), COX (2/3)
 Same forum: Star-Ledger, Trenton Times (Advance)

.
 Location and Procedure
 100%: User authentication process (Login in)
 75%: to view a message, at least 3 links from the
main page
 67%: to post message, at least 5 links from the
main page (Newspapers of Advance: 6 links)

Findings (Uses)
 Low use
 41% has less than 5 users
 33% has more than 10 users
 Frequent uses by Regulars
 Posting ratio: Number of messages per user
(M = 2), Advance (M = 2.3)

.
 Interactivity: the ratio of responsiveness to
both the previous user and the message
 Ratio: 3.5 (Lead 18 : Response 64)
 Deliberation: the degree of embedded
knowledge or logic in the messages
 Not deliberative (emotional or bashful): 27.8%
 Deliberative (knowledgeable or logical): 72.2%

Examples (1)
D: Frst coalition in the first iraq war the French sent the second largest
number of military vehicules after the us flew the second largest number
of flights after the us and in 2 days of combat captured 50000 iraqi
prisoners , in afghanistan they are leading the 6000 man euro corps and
in liberia it was french marines who went in and freed the american
missionaries because we were stretched so thin France has 65000
troops in africa we do need them and I bet that if Kerry is elected you
will see a considerable change in our allies attitudes it not us they dont
like its bush they dont trust . In the first coalition there were 700000
troops we dont even have a third now so dont talk about a coalition its
us . If you asked the dutch british danes poles italians those people
want out did you see the polls in britain 80 percent want bush to lose
and its worse elsewhere with bush we are stuck
E: Impressive numbers. Where do you get your stats from?
D: Available from the us army geopolitical studies stats are true I did not
mention that the US uses the French Naval base in Djibouti as a staging
are or that France has the second largest number of naval units in that
area

Examples (2)
A: I know not to send my children there, if your
grammar and spelling capacity is indicative of
Widener students!
B: Your kids more than likely will not go to college with
a remark like that. Hintertux made no Don’t to what
so ever he made a point if you don’t like it Don’t be
sour but Don’t be an insulting moron, Hey hintertux
your better than this person, keep up the good work
in school.

Examples (3)
C: I've been reading and contributing to this board for about two
years. Not ONCE have I seen a "liberal" tell a neo-con that he
should leave the country because his views were not welcome. (I
HAVE seen neo-cons invited to join the conflict in Iraq, but not to
just "get out!") On the other hand, it is a frequent suggestion to
me and others branded as "AntiAmerican" and "Liberal". I have
explained numerous times that we, too, love our country and
speak out against the corruption of our American values, the
rape of the economy by elected officials in cooperation with
corporate raiders and the perversion of our foreign policy by
lackeys of foreign governments precisely because we DO love
our country. Neo-cons seem to unanimously believe that its "MY
WAY or the HIGHWAY." Even though that con

Example (4)
F: Historically polls have not been the deciding factor in elections, don’t get
me wrong they have an impact but they don't decide elections. Its just
more meat for the Media. Bush lost the debate on the style side just as
it came to no surprise that everyone knew he would. Kerry's foreigin
policies really in all don’t differ much from Bush's accept for the North
Korean Issue I do not agree with. We've been there for nearly 50 years
its time that Japan, China, Russia and South Korea have answered to
that problem
G: The irony of the debate is that it's really geared to a very small % of the
population. If you have a preference in this election, you'll probably
believe your candidate won the debate. I don't believe too many
supporters of a candidate can be swayed to the other based on the
debate.The "target" in the debate is the undecided voter. I wonder if any
of the networks have access to this group as far as who they think
"won".

Conclusion
 Technology follows the market structure
 Publication company determines the Creation,
Format and Usability of online forums in affiliated
local newspapers
 High tech for Less
 Low adoption rate of online public forums
 Closed forum on Open network
 Low participation High Interactivity
 Deliberative discussion among regulars

Discussion
 Articulating methodology for online Journalism
research
 Need to incorporate study on psychological and
social aspect in addition to technological aspect of
new communication technology
 Need to articulate the process of constructing public
opinion
 Extending the concept and roles of users
 International comparison about the forms and uses

Example

.
Thank You

Chae

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