A model of functional rules for social media in the networked news sphere

Abstract

This study examines the assumption that news websites apply their specific institutional rules to incorporating the platforms of social media into news content. This study proposes the operation of three rules: functional platforms, functional individuality, and functional prominence. As functional platforms, Singapore’s and South Korea’s news websites embed Facebook and Twitter into news content, whereas China’s news website provides local-based social media into the content. In terms of functional individuality, the news websites focus on such individual activities as reply and connect. For functional prominence, the news websites locate the entry point of social media predominantly at the middle of the screen. However, these specific rules vary with the nationality of each news website.