AUTHOR=Kubin Emily , Merz Pascal , Wahba Mariam , Davis Cate , Gray Kurt , von Sikorski Christian TITLE=Understanding news-related user comments and their effects: a systematic review JOURNAL=Frontiers in Communication VOLUME=9 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1447457 DOI=10.3389/fcomm.2024.1447457 ISSN=2297-900X ABSTRACT=

There has been growing interest in research on news-related user comments. Here we conduct the first systematic review of this literature—quantitatively and qualitatively (248 studies)—that covers the entire communication process (content analyses, surveys, experiments). Results indicate a focus on online news articles (vs videos) and little consideration for major social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok). Research often assesses incivility in comments but offers conflicting conclusions on the actual level of incivility in comment threads—and seldom considers how to effectively combat any incivility. We propose four priorities for future work: more comparative and longitudinal approaches; exploring social media and video content; examining platform design, content moderation and artificial intelligence; and implementing measures to reduce incivility and protect the integrity of journalism.