Fuelling the debate: Predictive relationships among personality characteristics, motives and effects of melodramatic animated news viewing

Abstract

Melodramatic animated news is a new news reporting format used by some media organizations that has drawn a huge online viewership. This study adopted uses and gratifications theory and surveyed 312 college students to investigate their viewing of animated news. Seven motives were identified, through factor analysis, for viewing such animated news videos. The results of hierarchical regression analysis suggest predictive relationships among personality characteristics, the seven motives, the effects of perceived news credibility and newsworthiness, and the intention to share such animated news videos with others. Implications, ethical issues and directions for future research are discussed.

The Use of Melodramatic Animation in News, Presence and News Credibility

“…The emergence of augmented-reality technologies (Pavlik and Bridges 2013) and virtual-reality technologies, such as Oculus Rift (Wortham 2014), has transformed the delivery of media content and increased audiences' engagement with the process of consuming media (Cheng and Lo 2015). One example is "melodramatic animation", an increasingly prominent news format (Cohen 2009) that has been adopted by various international news organizations (Cheng andLo 2012, 2015;Lo and Cheng 2013). However, the use of such rapidly developing technologies may make it difficult for audiences to distinguish between genuine and constructed news images, raising doubts about the validity of news reports (Carlson 2009;Newton 2001).…”

“…In recent years, however, more complex forms of animation such as character modeling, as well as the use of background music and sound effects, have transformed the televised presentation of news. Lo and Cheng (2013) categorized these new forms of animation as melodramatic animation. Today, news reports often feature melodramatically animated characters with dynamic facial expressions and speaking roles, sometimes accompanied by music and sound effects.…”

Melodramatic animation in crime news and news information learning

“…In a follow-up study by Lo and Cheng (2013), it was found that the different motives associating with animated news viewing among college students were related to news perception. Animated news reports have a higher credibility, higher trustworthiness and can induce higher intention to relay the content among peers on social media if the reports are used for information-seeking purpose (Lo & Cheng, 2013).…”

“…In a follow-up study by Lo and Cheng (2013), it was found that the different motives associating with animated news viewing among college students were related to news perception. Animated news reports have a higher credibility, higher trustworthiness and can induce higher intention to relay the content among peers on social media if the reports are used for information-seeking purpose (Lo & Cheng, 2013). These scholars have asserted that young people may not distinguish between the animated elements and the genuine contents in a news video, and they may take the elements constructed by news producers as highly believable (Cheng & Lo, 2012;Lo & Cheng, 2013).…”

“…Animated news reports have a higher credibility, higher trustworthiness and can induce higher intention to relay the content among peers on social media if the reports are used for information-seeking purpose (Lo & Cheng, 2013). These scholars have asserted that young people may not distinguish between the animated elements and the genuine contents in a news video, and they may take the elements constructed by news producers as highly believable (Cheng & Lo, 2012;Lo & Cheng, 2013). Such assertions were later supported by a study that investigated the viewers' experience of presence during reported events, and the effects that such experience had on their evaluations of the characters presented in animated news reports.…”