NEWSROOM 2.0: A comparative case study of the Philippines Social News Sites Rappler and Yahoo! News Philippines

This study explores the structure of social news sites in the Philippines – Rappler and Yahoo! News. Similarities and differences in content production and distribution were analyzed and juxtaposed, focusing on the role of social media technology and user participation. The research also examined how newsrooms, ethical standards, and business models evolved on the Web. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods. Homepages were monitored for four months. Two months worth of headline stories, including multimedia were content analyzed. In-depth interviews with the editors of Rappler and Yahoo! News were also conducted. Journalistic practices evolved simultaneous with the changing media landscape – especially in newsroom structures,editorial and staff roles. The integration of social media technology and online user presence revolutionized content production and distribution. Because of the intense competition to break stories first, social media became an extension for published content. The study found interactivity as the prominent feature of a social news site. However, the nature of user engagement differed between the two. Rappler encouraged content submissions, while Yahoo! News utilized shareability to make content viral.

Enriquez, M.K.F and Fabrero, C.D.F (2013). Newsroom 2.0: A comparative case study of the Philippines Social News Sites Rappler and Yahoo! News Philippines. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines Diliman.

KEY WORDS: Social News Sites, Rappler, Yahoo! News Philippines

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