2014journal article|246 citations

From "information" to "knowing": Exploring the role of social media in contemporary news consumption

Iryna Pentina, Monideepa Tarafdar

Comput. Hum. Behav., vol. 35, pp. 211-223

Plain Language Summary

This research explores how social media has changed the way people consume and make sense of news. Rather than passively receiving information, social media users actively construct knowledge through discussion and peer validation. The study finds that trust in news shared via social media depends on both source credibility and social endorsement. This represents a fundamental shift in how people form their understanding of current events.

Key Findings

Social media fundamentally transforms news consumption from passive information receipt to active knowledge construction
Users engage in collaborative sense-making through social media interactions around news content
Trust in social media as a news source is driven by perceived source credibility and social validation from peers
The shift from traditional to social media news consumption reflects a deeper epistemological change in how people construct knowledge