Challenge

Conduct a longitudinal content analysis to assess whether journalists’ use of Twitter (X) has expanded the diversity of sources in news coverage or reinforced traditional reliance on elite voices.

Overview

Social media, particularly Twitter (now X), is often celebrated for democratizing communication by amplifying the voices of ordinary citizens and marginalized communities. This promise takes on extra significance in journalism, where reporters and editors have been active, engaged Twitter users.

I tested whether Twitter truly has democratized journalism by examining how reporters at three major U.S. newspapers (New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today) used the social media platform in their news coverage from 2009 to 2016. Did the use of Twitter lead to more diverse voices in reporting, or did it simply reinforce journalists’ traditional reliance on elite sources?

My analysis revealed that Twitter did not diversify sourcing. Instead, journalists primarily used it to quote the same official sources they always have, such as politicians and business leaders.

My Role

Sole researcher: The project emerged from my broader interest in how new technologies influence the behavior of journalists and news consumers. I led the process from ideation to data collection, analysis, and reporting. A faculty colleague assisted in the content analysis coding process to ensure reliability.

Methodology

Sample and longitudinal approach: I conducted a quantitative content analysis of 1,085 news stories from the three newspapers in 2009 through 2016 that cited tweets as sources.

Procedures: A database search identified stories containing specific phrases such as “according to a tweet” or “said in a Twitter post” signaling the use of Twitter as a source. Each story was categorized based on the type of Twitter source being quoted (politician, celebrity, ordinary citizen, etc.), the topic of the story (politics, sports, entertainment, etc.), and how prominently the tweet was featured within the story (the paragraph in which it appeared).

Tools

SPSS LexisNexis database

Insights and Impact

Key findings: Twitter has not democratized journalism’s sourcing practices. Political figures were quoted most frequently (30% of the stories), followed by other official sources such as CEOs and organizational spokespeople. Ordinary citizens appeared in only 7.5% of stories and were typically buried deep in the articles.

Notable trend: Over time, journalists became even more likely to cite elite voices on Twitter, magnifying rather than challenging existing hierarchies.

Implications: Journalists’ continued reliance on elite, institutional sources has serious implications for news diversity and democracy, especially in an era when trust in the news media and other institutions is at an all-time low. News organizations must be more deliberate in how they leverage platforms such as Twitter/X to represent a wider range of perspectives.

Deliverables

Journal article: “Tweets and Source Diversity: Newspapers’ Sourcing of Twitter Posts from 2009 to 2016,” Mass Communication and Society, 2021.

Conference paper and presentation: I presented an early version of this study at the 2018 conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in Washington, D.C., where it was awarded best faculty paper in the Newspaper and Online News Division.