News sharing on social media

Abstract

The emergence of social media platforms has empowered everyday users to assume a more prominent role in the dissemination of (political) news content. By engaging in news sharing—which entails granting a specific group of individuals access to news content via social media—people are actively involved in shaping the flow of news. This entry provides an overview of research on news sharing from the perspective of political communication. It begins by offering a definition of ‘news sharing’ and situating it within the existing research landscape. Subsequently, the entry focuses on discussing key findings, specifically examining the role of news sharing (1) users, (2) content, and (3) networks. In an outlook, the entry highlights challenges and future research directions related to news sharing research. These include a stronger focus on the role of platform algorithms, a deeper exploration of contextual dynamics and cross-platform sharing, and the assessment of long-term effects.

Tags

Meta

Publication
Encyclopedia of Political Communication