Hot Diggity Blog: A Cluster Analysis Examining Motivations and Other Factors for Why People Judge Different Types of Blogs as Credible

Abstract

Abstract Using two-step cluster analysis this study identifies four groups of users who deem seven types of blogs (general information, media/journalism, war, military, political, corporate, and personal blogs) as highly credible. The four groups are each motivated to turn to blogs for many of the same reasons; however, some differences emerged among the groups. In addition, the four user clusters differ on demographic and political characteristics. Notes 1General information/citizen blogs are one in which citizens play in active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information. Media/journalism blogs encompass those that report news and option and those that are about journalism. Bloggers are usually, but not always, journalists. A warblog is concerned with terrorism, war, and conflict, often with a pro-military stance. A military blog (milblog) is a blog written by members or veterans of any branch of the U.S armed services, posting directly from the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. A political blog primarily comments on politics, and they often have a clearly stated political bias. A corporate blog is published and used by an organization to reach its organizational goals. Finally, a personal blog is one in which people write on their day-to-day experiences, social commentary, complaints, poems, prose, illicit thoughts, and any content that might be found in a traditional paper diary or journal. 2Links to the survey were posted on the following blogs: A Family in Baghdad, A Family in Iraq, Ace of Spades HQ, Ann Althouse, AOL, Appalachian Scribe, Betsey's Page, Blogometer, Boortz News, Brian's Blog, Center for Citizen Media, Citizen Journalism, CNN, Crooks & Liars, Daily Kos, Dan Gillmor, DC Metblogs, Democratic Underground, Fark, Firedoglake, Hassenpfeffer, Highclearing, Hotline Blogometer, brianhornback.blogspot, edwardwillett.blogspot, journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink, Nofishnonuts, Secrets In Baghdad, Joanne Jacobs, Newshounds, www.wakeupamericans-spree.blogspot, Huffington Post, Hullabaloo, Infomaniac, Instapolit, Instapundit, Jay Rosen's Press Think, Jesus General, Journalism.co.uk, Khalid Jarrar, Knox News No Silence Here, KnoxViews, Mike the Mad Biologist, Mindy McAdams, Moderate Voice, MoveOn.org, NewsHounds, NewsBusters, NewsDissector, Obsidian Wings, Oraculations, Outside the Beltway, Poliblogger, Political Mavens-Steven Taylor, Politics in the Zeros, PowerLine, Power of Narrative, Poynter.org/Romenesko, Pressthink.org, Raw Story, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Slate, Teaching Online Journalism (UNC), Tell Me a Secret, tojou.blogspot, Unqualified Offerings, Wake Up America. 3The survey's first question asked respondents to enter their e-mail addresses; all but 17 (99.1%) complied. The respondents' e-mail addresses together with a computer-generated ID were used to delete duplicated surveys. 4Cooperation Rate: As defined by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (Citation2008) Standard Definitions: "The proportion of all cases interviewed of all eligible units ever contacted." Response rates for online surveys widely vary depending on whether personalized salutations, follow-up announcements, and monetary incentives are used, and on the quality of the survey (Duetskens, Ryther, Wetzels, & Oosterveld, 2004; Plaisent, Larhrib, Bernard, & Rym, 2005). Dueskens and associates called a response rate of 25% "considerable". 5The efficacy index is below the normal .70 standard for internal reliability. However, low reliability scores are not unusual for an index of only two items. One of the main ways to ensure reliability is to use measures that have proven reliable in previous research (Babbie, Citation1990). Therefore, the authors combined the two items into an index because these two items from the National Election Studies have proven reliable in past studies. 6The 56 motivational items are as follows: for links to more information sources, for information I can't get from traditional media, because blogs are interesting, to access information at any time, because blogs are independent of traditional media, for a wide variety of information, for specific information of interest, to keep up with current events, because it's easy to access information, to keep up with political issues, because I want to learn something new, for news analysis, to get a wide variety of opinions, because I don't trust traditional media, to access a specific blog/blogger, because blogs provide the most up-to-date information, to check on the accuracy of traditional media, to get information quickly, for depth of information, to find out about the war on Iraq and its aftermath, to learn about both sides of an issue, for the ongoing debates and arguments, to expose traditional media when they make mistakes, for credible information, for specific political perspectives (i.e., conservative, libertarian, liberal), because blogs admit their bias upfront, to expose traditional media for bias, because bloggers save me time looking around for important news, for access to experts, to avoid liberal media bias, to see how politicians stand on various issues, because blogs are humorous, for bloggers' personal accounts of news or events, because of the good writing, to make up my mind about important issues, to find out about issues affecting people like myself, to help me develop my critical thinking skills, to compare my opinions to others, to relieve boredom, to keep up with social issues and trends, to judge the personal qualities of politicians, because blogs are exciting, to use as ammunition in arguments with others, to follow the interactions between the blogger and others, to be in contact with like-minded people, to feel involved, because they help me relax, to get behind a cause, to express my opinions, because I'm addicted to them, so I don't have to pay for a newspaper or magazine, to research for work or school, to communicate with friends who have blogs, to make a social connection with others, to avoid conservative media bias, for information for my own blog. Note. BIC = Bayesian Inference Criterion. a The changes are from the previous number of clusters in the table. b The ratios of changes are relative to the change for the two-cluster solution. c The ratios of distance measures are based on the current number of clusters against the previous number of clusters. Note. Numbers and percentages run vertically to equal 100%. a 28.4% (n = 564). All types credible. b 19.2% (n = 381). War, military, corporate not credible. c 26.8% (n = 533). Only war credible. d 25.7% (n = 511). None credible. Note. Numbers and percentages run vertically to equal 100%. Significance by Pearson chi-square. Means scores with different subscripts = horizontal comparisons, differ by p < .05 analysis of variance. No cells have expected count less than 5. a 28.4% (n = 564). All types credible. b 19.2% (n = 381). War, military, corporate not credible. c 26.8% (n = 533). Only war credible. d 25.7% (n = 511). None credible. Note. Bold italics indicates a motivation unique to the cluster. a N = 564. b Range = 1–5. c N = 381. d N = 533. e N = 511. Additional informationNotes on contributorsBarbara K. Kaye Barbara K. Kaye (Ph.D., Florida State University, 1994) is a Professor in the Department of Journalism and Electronic Media at University of Tennessee. Her research interests include media effects and consumer uses of online technologies. Thomas J. Johnson Thomas J. Johnson (Ph.D., University of Washington, 1989) is the Amon G. Carter Jr. Centennial Professor in the School of Journalism at University of Texas at Austin. His research interests includes the uses and effects of online technologies.