(Press-News.org) The YouTube comments sections of politically neutral news outlets might be more conducive to cooperative, cross-partisan conversation than their liberal and conservative counterparts, according to a study published May 29, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Seung Woo Chae and Sung Hyun Lee from Indiana University. The study, which focused on the media response to the 2019 release of the Mueller report, found that more cross-partisan discussions took place on liberal channels than conservative ones and mainstream news outlets hosted more cross-partisan comments than political vlogs.
Many news consumers learn about the world through social media, described by some research studies as a political echo chamber: an environment where a user’s political opinions are reiterated and bounced back at them. Pushback against this perspective posits social media as a constructive, cross-partisan forum where liberal and conservative users openly discuss their perspectives.
Chae and Lee enter this conversation in the context of YouTube videos posted about a pivotal political moment: the April 18, 2019 release of the Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election, commonly known as the Mueller report.
They examined the comments sections from 17 YouTube videos shared in response to the Mueller report, 10 of which were posted by popular political vloggers (half liberal, half conservative) and 7 of which came from mainstream news outlets — some liberal (like CNN), some conservative (like Fox News), and one neutral (C-SPAN). The researchers used manual and computational methods to analyze the videos’ comments and study how political parties were represented in each.
Results indicated more cross-partisan discussions on liberal YouTube channels than conservative ones. Regardless of political leaning, mainstream news outlets generally had more cross-partisan discussions than the vlogs. The only neutral news outlet included in the study, C-SPAN, contained the most balanced number of conservative and liberal comments.
The researchers acknowledge that not all cross-partisan commentary is necessarily constructive, citing some such comments as “troll-like.” Data gathered in this study should be interpreted in the unique context of the Mueller report; the researchers encourage future studies to examine the dynamics of YouTube comments in broader and different contexts.
The authors add: “We found that the proportion of cross-cutting discussions significantly varies by both the channel’s political leaning and media type. In addition, our results suggest the possibility of neutral news outlets as a place for cross-cutting discussions.”
#####
In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0302030
Citation: Chae SW, Lee SH (2024) Where do cross-cutting discussions happen?: Identifying cross-cutting comments on YouTube videos of political vloggers and mainstream news outlets. PLoS ONE 19(5): e0302030. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302030
Author Countries: USA
Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.
END
YouTube’s comments section: Political echo chamber or constructive cross-partisan forum?
Analysis of YouTube videos shared about the 2019 Mueller report found cross-partisan comments were more common on channels of liberal vloggers and mainstream media, vs conservative counterparts
2024-05-29
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Babies babble squeals and growls in clustering patterns observable from birth through the first year, suggesting this active vocal exploration is important to speech development
2024-05-29
In the first large-scale observation with human coding of infant vocalizations using all-day home recordings, babies of all ages from birth up to a year old squealed and growled in significant cluster patterns, suggesting the babies may have been actively engaged in noisemaking play and sound practice, according to a study published May 29, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Hyunjoo Yoo from the University of Alabama, Pumpki Lei Su from the University of Texas at Dallas, and colleagues.
In their first year of life, babies spend a remarkable amount of time vocalizing—both responding with noises to parents and caregivers, as well as self-directed babbling that could ...
The sweat bee, H. rubicundus, is less sociable in Scotland than in Cornwall, but is genetically differentiated and genetically isolated too
2024-05-29
The sweat bee, H. rubicundus, is less sociable in Scotland than in Cornwall, but is genetically differentiated and genetically isolated too
###
Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0302688
Article Title: Genetic differentiation at extreme latitudes in the socially plastic sweat bee Halictus rubicundus
Author Countries: Netherlands, UK
Funding: This work is part of a project that received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Horizon's 202 research and innovation programme (grantagreement no. 695744). RAB was funded by a Wageningen Graduate School Postdoctoral Talent fellowship and a BBSRC discovery ...
Smartphone use may help adolescents feel better - at least in the moment, finds real-time survey of US teens
2024-05-29
Smartphone use may help adolescents feel better - at least in the moment, finds real-time survey of US teens
###
Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298422
Article Title: Real-world adolescent smartphone use is associated with improvements in mood: An ecological momentary assessment study
Author Countries: USA
Funding: This study used data from a larger project that was funded by a stand-alone research agreement between Facebook's Youth Research Fund (2018-2020, Facebook, Inc.) ...
Public have no difficulty getting to grips with an extra thumb, study finds
2024-05-29
Cambridge researchers have shown that members of the public have little trouble in learning very quickly how to use a third thumb – a controllable, prosthetic extra thumb – to pick up and manipulate objects.
The team tested the robotic device on a diverse range of participants, which they say is essential for ensuring new technologies are inclusive and can work for everyone.
An emerging area of future technology is motor augmentation – using motorised wearable devices such as exoskeletons or extra robotic body parts to advance our motor ...
Breakthrough in cancer prediction with nano informatics and AI
2024-05-29
A recent study has introduced a novel method combining nano informatics and machine learning to precisely predict cancer cell behaviors, enabling the identification of cell subpopulations with distinct characteristics like drug sensitivity and metastatic potential. This research could transform cancer diagnosis and treatment, enhancing personalized medicine by facilitating rapid and accurate testing of cancer cell behaviors from patient biopsies and potentially leading to the development of new clinical tests to monitor disease progression and treatment effectiveness.
In an important advance in the fight against ...
New immunotherapy could treat cancer in the bone
2024-05-29
A new type of immunotherapy, developed by UCL researchers, has shown promising preclinical results against a bone cancer called osteosarcoma, as part of a study in mice.
Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in teenagers but is still relatively rare, with around 160 new cases each year in the UK. Meanwhile, more than 150,000 people suffer from cancer that has spread to the bones.
Cancer that starts in or spreads to the bones is particularly hard to treat, meaning that it is a leading cause of cancer-related death. ...
USC researchers pioneer new brain imaging technique through clear “window” in patient’s skull
2024-05-29
In the first study of its kind, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) designed and implanted a transparent window in the skull of a patient, then used functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) to collect high-resolution brain imaging data through the window. Their preliminary findings suggest that this sensitive, non-invasive approach could open new avenues for patient monitoring and clinical research, as well as broader studies of how the brain functions.
“This is the first time anyone had applied ...
Rahimi Wins CAREER Award for Electrochemical Carbon Capture Research
2024-05-29
HOUSTON, May 29, 2024 – Mim Rahimi, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Houston, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award for his research proposal focusing on liquid-liquid interfaces for electrochemical carbon capture research.
His research proposal is “Leveraging Liquid-Liquid Interfaces for Innovative Electrochemical Carbon Capture.” It was selected for $537,719 in funding, with research running through August 2029.
“The project ...
As racial diversity and income rise, civilian injuries by police fall
2024-05-29
An analysis of civilian injuries resulting from interactions with police in Illinois found that residents of all races and ethnicities are more likely to sustain injuries if they live in economically under-resourced areas. The risk of injury decreases as communities become more racially diverse, the researchers found.
The study from the University of Illinois Chicago analyzed information on nearly 5,000 injuries caused by police that were treated in Illinois hospitals between 2016 and 2022. The researchers then compared that information with socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census on each injured person’s home ZIP code. The study is published in the ...
Mason CARES intervention reduces stress and feelings of burden of family caregivers of older adults with dementia
2024-05-29
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of those living with dementia receive informal care from family members or friends. This equates to 16 million family caregivers in the U.S. However, caring for family members with dementia is often associated with increased caregiver burden (which includes emotional, physical, and financial strain), stress, and worse physical health for the caregiver.
A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, led by George Mason University researchers, found that a 9-week online stress ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] YouTube’s comments section: Political echo chamber or constructive cross-partisan forum?Analysis of YouTube videos shared about the 2019 Mueller report found cross-partisan comments were more common on channels of liberal vloggers and mainstream media, vs conservative counterparts