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Digitally facilitated newspaper consumption and value co-creation

Digitally facilitated newspaper consumption and value co-creation
Digitally facilitated newspaper consumption and value co-creation

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide insights into value creation within a newspaper consumption community, adding to current information research by demonstrating how an atypical consumption community can co-create value in ways different from those identified in extant research. The upheaval of the newspaper industry’s business model and value chain in the face of digitalisation has led to significant decreases in newspaper revenue. To stay successful in the modern digital climate, it is essential for newspapers to utilise the interactive features of Web 2.0 to find new value sources. To do so, it is necessary to focus not just on tangible financial value but also symbolic value. The study supports the notion that consumers collectively co-create value through consumption community practices. Design/methodology/approach: Through the conduction of a netnographic exploration of active consumers on the Guardian website and interviews with passive consumers, the study’s aims of understanding co-creation in digitally facilitated newspaper consumption environment were achieved. Findings: The findings have opened up new ways in which newspapers can harness value through consumption communities as well as suggesting the future scope of research. This study indicates that newspapers foster an atypical environment for the creation of a cohesive consumption community – something that has failed to be appreciated in extant information research – because their diverse content influences the formation of multiple community pools with members who do not always share the same beliefs. In addition, the study reveals that the Guardian’s online consumption community co-creates value without strict adherence to the prescribed contingencies set out in current literature. The findings uncover new patterns in community behaviour proving value to be created not just through their co-consumption but also through individual consumption. Originality/value: This study contributes to discussions on how communities co-create value and how this differs with different article subjects (lifestyle and political and types of participants, both active and passive).

Digital newspaper, Newspaper consumption, Newspaper industry, Online community, Value, Value co-creation
0888-045X
Chen, Cheng Hao Steve
fd7f1d55-ca39-4735-ae81-a2fd2aba0963
Wu, Meng Shan Sharon
22cf1809-96a2-4076-86b3-746000b5f3bd
Nguyen, Bang
7b8e2610-577a-4f04-917b-ffe20fd620c8
Li, Stacey
ae89e8b5-7d7b-4723-bfac-40c5c01fbc68
Chen, Cheng Hao Steve
fd7f1d55-ca39-4735-ae81-a2fd2aba0963
Wu, Meng Shan Sharon
22cf1809-96a2-4076-86b3-746000b5f3bd
Nguyen, Bang
7b8e2610-577a-4f04-917b-ffe20fd620c8
Li, Stacey
ae89e8b5-7d7b-4723-bfac-40c5c01fbc68

Chen, Cheng Hao Steve, Wu, Meng Shan Sharon, Nguyen, Bang and Li, Stacey (2018) Digitally facilitated newspaper consumption and value co-creation. Bottom Line. (doi:10.1108/BL-09-2018-0038).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide insights into value creation within a newspaper consumption community, adding to current information research by demonstrating how an atypical consumption community can co-create value in ways different from those identified in extant research. The upheaval of the newspaper industry’s business model and value chain in the face of digitalisation has led to significant decreases in newspaper revenue. To stay successful in the modern digital climate, it is essential for newspapers to utilise the interactive features of Web 2.0 to find new value sources. To do so, it is necessary to focus not just on tangible financial value but also symbolic value. The study supports the notion that consumers collectively co-create value through consumption community practices. Design/methodology/approach: Through the conduction of a netnographic exploration of active consumers on the Guardian website and interviews with passive consumers, the study’s aims of understanding co-creation in digitally facilitated newspaper consumption environment were achieved. Findings: The findings have opened up new ways in which newspapers can harness value through consumption communities as well as suggesting the future scope of research. This study indicates that newspapers foster an atypical environment for the creation of a cohesive consumption community – something that has failed to be appreciated in extant information research – because their diverse content influences the formation of multiple community pools with members who do not always share the same beliefs. In addition, the study reveals that the Guardian’s online consumption community co-creates value without strict adherence to the prescribed contingencies set out in current literature. The findings uncover new patterns in community behaviour proving value to be created not just through their co-consumption but also through individual consumption. Originality/value: This study contributes to discussions on how communities co-create value and how this differs with different article subjects (lifestyle and political and types of participants, both active and passive).

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2018 TBL w Steve Value co-creation in newspaper industry - - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 14 September 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 31 October 2018
Keywords: Digital newspaper, Newspaper consumption, Newspaper industry, Online community, Value, Value co-creation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 426571
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/426571
ISSN: 0888-045X
PURE UUID: 4289e32f-5006-4dcf-b09d-252b447ea07d
ORCID for Cheng Hao Steve Chen: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7548-7234

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 30 Nov 2018 17:30
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 01:53

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Contributors

Author: Meng Shan Sharon Wu
Author: Bang Nguyen
Author: Stacey Li

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