This article expands understanding of the digital divide to more nuanced measures of use by examining differences in young adults' online activities. Young adults are the most highly connected age group, but that does not mean that their Internet uses are homogenous. Analyzing data about the Web uses of 270 adults from across the United States, the article explores the differences in 18-to 26-year-olds' online activities and what social factors explain the variation. Findings suggest that those with higher levels of education and of a more resource-rich background use the Web for more "capitalenhancing" activities. Detailed analyses of user attributes also reveal that online skill is an important mediating factor in the types of activities people pursue online. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for a "second-level digital divide," that is, differences among the population of young adult Internet users.

This study uses a nationwide survey of health journalists (N = 774) to explore the agenda-building process in health news, examining how journalists develop story ideas, value expert source characteristics, and perceive the acceptability of using public relations materials. Results indicate that intermedia agenda setting may be a stronger influence on agenda building than are information subsidies, and that journalists rate characteristics associated with public relations training as important in expert sources. Also, journalists who take an audience advocate role are more accepting of news releases than those who take a skeptic role.When developing health news reports, journalists often use information that comes in the form of "information subsidies." An information subsidy is news information packaged free for journalists by those seeking publicity.' Public relations materials are examples of information subsidies. In the area of science and health, the literature suggests that general assignment reporters depend on subsidies because they, themselves, may know less about the story subject, and that beat or specialty reporters may use them as a means to meet deadline pressures. While there is nothing inherently wrong with using information subsidies from public relations professionals, some critics2 have raised concern about the credibility and framing power this process can confer on groups that already are perceived to have extensive societal power (e.g., corporations).One way that journalists try to maintain ownership of health stories is to rely less on information subsidies for the generation of story ideas, even though it may take more time and effort. Nevertheless, the process of producing news is complicated and influenced by many factors, not the least of which are money and time. The realities of a twenty-four-hour news cycle do not always make it practical or possible to avoid using information subsidies. The purpose of this study is to examine how health journalists make decisions about using information subsidies in reporting on health stories by analyzing how they (1) develop Maria E. Len-Rios is an assistant professor; Amanda Hinnant is an assistant professor; Sun-A Park is a doctoral student; Glen T. Cameron is a professor; Cynthia M. Frisby is an associate professor; and Youngah Lee is a doctoral student. A11 are at the University of Missouri. Fundingfor this research was provided through a grantfrom the Missouri Foundation for Health, Agreement 07-0242-HL-07. HEALTH NEWS AGENDA BUILDING 315 J~M C ~~~d vol. 86, NO. 2 S~m e r 2 0 0 9 315-331

Health journalists often use personal stories to put a “face” on a health issue. This research uses a sociology-of-news approach, based on data collected from 42 in-depth interviews and three surveys with health journalists and editors [national (N = 774), state (N = 55), and purposive (N = 180)], to provide a first look at how important journalists think exemplars are to their stories. Results show journalists select exemplars to inform, inspire, and/or sensationalize a health issue. Some of the strategies journalists use to locate exemplars pose ethical concerns. Further, journalists rank the use of exemplars lower in aiding audience understanding compared with the use of experts, data and statistics, and definitions of technical terms.

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