Unpacking news engagement through the perceived affordances of social media: A cross-platform, cross-country approach

In the extant ample research on news engagement social media, a majority of studies thus far have centered mainly users’ motivations, gratifications, and characteristics less platforms in which they operate. Yet, it is well recognized that behavior shaped by technological interfaces, users differentiate between switch to suit their specific needs. The current study, therefore, adopts cross-platform (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, instant messaging apps) approach explore how with varies, focus perceptions platforms’ affordances as main predictor. Based an online survey eight countries (the United States, Kingdom, France, Israel, Sweden, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan), study identifies key affordances, determine both receiving dissemination news, regarding platform’s personalization, network association, anonymity, content persistence. findings also highlight differences platforms.