Final Thesis Manuscript

FACEBOOK AND TWITTER NEWS CONSUMPTION: A STUDY ON
THE SELECTION, UNDERSTANDING, AND ENGAGEMENT OF

NEWS AMONG FILIPINO YOUNG ADULTS
A Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of College of Communication
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Sta. Mesa, Manila
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Batchelor of Arts in Journalism
by
Ryan Vincent G. De Serra

Alyssa Ross R. Jorta
Prof. Renalyn J. Valdez

Adviser
2022
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We, the researchers would like to express our sincerest gratitude to everyone who
have been by our side as we worked to complete this research study. We would not have
successfully executed this paper without the support and guidance of following people:
Firstly, words cannot express our gratitude to our professor, Professor Renalyn J.
Valdez for her invaluable patience and feedback. In leading us through this paper, we
appreciate her advice, ideas, moral support, and understanding.
To our panelists: Professors Nikki Fabon, Prestoline Suyat, and Angelina Borican, we
also could not have undertaken this journey without them who generously provided their
knowledge and expertise to further improve our paper.
To our survey participants who took the liberty of time and effort to provide their
feedback and insights which helped contribute to the overall results of the study.
To our parents: Mr. Jovic and Mrs. Juanita De Serra; Mr. Alan and Mrs. Roselyn Jorta,
we would be remiss in not mentioning their unqualified love, sustenance, and support. Their
belief in us has kept our spirits and motivation high during this journey.
To our friends, thank you for providing us entertainment and emotional support. Their
sense of humor, tolerance, hopefulness, and guidance were more valuable than they can ever
imagine.
Lastly, this endeavor would not have been possible without our Almighty Creator. In
times of doubt and uncertainty, our faith has impacted and inspired us to continue. We offer
the success of this paper to his holy name.
i
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
ABSTRACT
Title: Facebook and Twitter News Consumption: A Study on the

Selection, Understanding, and Engagement of News among
Filipino Young Adults
Researchers: Ryan Vincent G. De Serra, Alyssa Ross R. Jorta
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
Institution: Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Year: 2022
Adviser: Prof. Renalyn J. Valdez
This study aims to determine how Filipinos young adults select, understand, and engage
with news on social media, particularly news posts and/or articles that are found on Facebook
and Twitter. As a quantitative research study, the researchers have used a descriptive
research method to provide an accurate explanation of the phenomena and/or scenario
(Facebook and Twitter news consumption) surrounding the study's targeted demographic
(Filipino Young Adults). Through a provided online survey questionnaire, a total of 100 Filipino
social media users aged 18-24 participated in gathering data for the study. As a result, the
findings have showed that Filipino young adults utilize both Facebook and Twitter in their
overall news consumption and would tend to select news contents that keeps them updated
and well aware of what’s happening in society. Filipino young adults have also been found to
be dominant in understanding news contents. This means that as long as it fits their values or
beliefs, they can easily comprehend any news post and/or article no matter what news content
they wish to consume. Because of this, Filipino young adults are identified to having a high
level of engagement towards their selected news content (news post and/or article) which
ii
they participate (react, comment or share) based on the existing structure of how news are
presented on both social media sites.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgment i
Abstract ii
Table of Contents iv
List of Tables vi
List of Figures vii
1 The Problem and its Setting
Introduction 1
Theoretical Framework 2
Conceptual Framework 5
Operational Framework 6
Statement of the Problem 6
Scope and Limitations of the Study 7
Significance of the Study 7
2 Review of Literature and Studies
Social media as a news source 9
Young adults’ consumption on social media 10
Influences on young adults’ selection of news 12
Understanding of news 14
News engagement based on structure 15
Synthesis of Review of Related Literature 20
3 Methodology
iv
Method of Research 24
Population, Sampling Size, and Sampling Technique 24
Description of the Respondents 25
Research Instrument 26
Data-Gathering Procedure 28
Statistical Treatment 28
4 Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data
Profile of the Respondents 30
Social Media News Selection 31
Understanding of News from Social Media 32
Social Media News Engagement 35
5 Summary of Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Summary of Findings 44
Conclusions 45
Recommendations 47
References 49
Appendices 52
v
LIST OF TABLES
Number Title Page
1 Profile of the Respondents 30
2 Social Media News Selection 31
3 Understanding of News from Social Media (Dominant) 32
4 Understanding of News from Social Media (Negotiated) 33
5 Understanding of News from Social Media (Oppositional) 34
6 35
Social Media News Engagement (News Headlines)
7 Social Media News Engagement (Photo/Article’s Thumbnail) 37
8 Social Media News Engagement (Post Captions) 39
9 Social Media News Engagement (Post Engagements) 32
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Number Title Page
1 Conceptual Framework 5
2 Operational Framework 6
3 Structure of a Facebook News Item 16
4 The anatomy of news on Twitter 18
vii
Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Introduction
News consumption is very important in helping the public stay apprised with
information as it helps shape their knowledge, response, and even their attitude towards a
particular societal issue. Before the advent of the new media, traditional media such as
newspapers, tv, and radio have been tried-and-tested news sources that people have relied
on and depended on for decades.
Noble (2014) explained that traditional news organizations have spent years building
connections with their audiences (readers, listeners, and viewers) and that they are experts
at targeting certain demographics. News consumption through traditional media has remained
steadfast and trusted among those who consume it because it does not only show factual and
fairness in their works but also in curating content. Traditional media can immediately cater to
what is needed because they have come to understand what their audience wants and their
demands.
However, this was challenged at the turn of the 21st century as social media sites have
become the largest online platform in digital cyberspace. According to a digital report of Simon
Kemp, chief analyst, and founder of statistic website Kepios, as of January 2022, there has
been an estimated 4.62 billion social media users in the world equating to almost 58.4 percent
of the total global population. Due to advancements in technology and the popularization of
social media, many news organizations and media entities have since then cross-over
1
expanding their medium from merely print to a mixture of online as well. This has led news
and its related content to be very accessible. Popular social media sites such as Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram have evolved from being just a social and communication tool to a
platform for news and information to be disseminated. With its wider spread in reach and fast
influence compared to traditional media, news consumption in social media has been more
accessible for it is easy for the algorithm of these sites to help its users to direct news through
the help of their social media use and habits.
In the Philippines, there are 92.05 million social media users as of January 2022.
Among this figure, Filipinos aged 18-24 make up 31.2% of that population and are considered
to seek news and information on social media the most. In a report released by the
Department of Health in 2017, the distinction of the Philippines as the “Most Social Nation” is
attributed to the high number of active users of social media coming from its young
demographic. They are fast adaptors to new technologies such as social media and the more
frequent users thus making them rely more on gathering information through social media.
Four years later, this remains to be evident especially now that the world is experiencing a
global health crisis brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. The current situation only helps in
generating more people to use social media to search for news at the convenience and safety
of their homes.
The purpose of this study is to determine how users, specifically Filipino young adults
select, understand, and engage with news they consume from social media. Particularly news
posts and/or articles that are found on Facebook and Twitter.
Theoretical Framework
2
The analysis used for this study is based on the Active Audience Theory and the
Reception Theory.
Reception Theory
News Selection
The Reception Theory, also known as the Audience Reception Theory, was proposed
by Stuart Hall, a Jamaican-born British Cultural Theorist, and Sociologist, who said that the
audience considers various factors that influence how they accept different media messages.
Examples of these factors are personal, societal, and cultural beliefs, values, life experiences,
and emotions at the time of viewing and/or consuming. As a result, this plays an important
role in how audiences assess media content.
Understanding of News
The purpose of the reception theory is to pinpoint a variety of possible reactions and
understanding at any given time. To accomplish this, it's important to recognize that each
member of the audience has a unique set of social identities and subject positions. However,
when it came to deciphering a message, Hall provided three hypothetical analyses on three
alternative approaches to decode/understand a message.
Dominant
A dominant audience are passive when it comes to consuming media messages. They
receive the information full and straight and exactly how it was intended to be understood.
Negotiated
A negotiated audience grasp the message in general, however, don't fully accept it.
They accept the legitimacy of the message but operate by modifying or altering the message
by reflecting on their personal beliefs and/or principles.
3
Oppositional
An oppositional audience decodes messages in a contrary manner. Meaning that
while they do receive the message, they disagree with it completely and tend to reject what
the message meant.
Active Audience Theory
News Engagement
According to the Active Audience Theory, the audience's engagement with their media
consumption experience might take two forms. The first is consciously deciding how to engage
with the media. This means that an individual tends to be more critical of their decision when
it comes to consuming media messages. The second one is when people intuitively engage
with and perceive media messages in specific ways without doing so consciously. This is
because a person's view of a certain media is influenced by their personal biases, knowledge,
and background. This occurs because, as the theory goes on to explain, people aren't always
passive when it comes to what the media feeds them. The audience can make choices and
act independently making their involvement and media experiences active and controlled.
News Selection
In relation to the audience’s engagement, the active audience theory also states that both
conscious and unconscious actions are filtered by the audience depending on their viewpoint
which is influenced by examples of personal beliefs, personality, values, interests, education,
and experiences. Since humans behave differently because of differences in background, this
helps them to selects as well as to make sense of their media consumption by using personal,
cultural, and social contexts to understand the messages they receive or search for.
4
Conceptual Framework
From numerous illustrations aiming to depict the reception theory, the researchers decided
to use this particular model and presented how theoretical aspects from the actual model was
substituted in order to incorporate significant variables from the study by using both the Active
Audience theory and the reception theory
In the original diagram, the model explains the breakdown of decoding a media
message. Beginning with a producer (media), it encodes a message for an audience and the
audience must decode its meaning in one of three ways (dominant, negotiated, and
oppositional).
By preserving the original format from the reception theory, the modified model can now
be depicted as:
The producer (news posts and/or articles posted on social media) encodes its message
for the audience (Filipino Audience) to consume. Meanwhile, the audience will decode its
meaning through the following: (1) selection, (2) understanding, and (3) engagement,
replacing the three aspects of decoding a message.
Figure 1. The Conceptual Framework
5
Operational Framework
Continuing with the conceptual framework, the researchers followed the existing
model but elaborated its structure in order to fulfill the expectations needed for the study.
To get the desired results, the researchers presented the specificity of how news are
consumed through the process of selection, understanding, and engagement. For the
selection of news, it varies on the different news themes that an audience would tend to
consume whereas understanding of news can correlate with the three main approaches from
the reception theory. Lastly, one’s engagement of news can be a result of an action based on
elements present in a social media news post.
Figure 2. The Operational Framework
Statement of the Problem
General Question:
In today's generation, where social media is becoming the primary source of news and
information, how do Filipino young adults consume news via Facebook and Twitter?
Specific Questions:
6
1. What type of news content do Filipino young adults usually select when browsing
through Facebook and Twitter?
2. How do they understand the news posts and/or articles of these news content?
3. How do they engage with news posts and/or articles based on the news’ social media
format and presentation?
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study aims to know how personal beliefs and values affect Filipino young adults
in consuming news—both news posts and news articles—on social media, particularly through
Facebook and Twitter. An online survey will be used to source 100 social media users in the
Philippines between the ages of 18 and 24. The study is limited within the coverage of the
survey which aims to determine the respondent’s demographic profile as well as how they
select, understand, and engage with news content, news posts, and/or articles.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this research will be of great benefit to the following:
1. Teenagers. The data presented and eventual results will enable teenagers to be
aware of the importance of being more responsible social media users, particularly when
consuming news.
2. Media practitioners and/or journalists. Acknowledging the respondent’s
approaches and responses to news can be an important factor for journalists to understand
how their reports are being consumed by their audience. It could help in raising awareness
7
on how to combat and stop the spread of misinformation online through proper reportage and
disseminating information that isn’t only factual but understandable that the masses can easily
grasp.
3. For future researchers. This study will add to the cultivating body of information in
the field of quantitative research. The results of this study will also serve as a guide to future
researchers who would like to conduct a similar research study.
8
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND STUDIES
Social media as a News source
News and information can be accessed in different forms: print, radio, and broadcast.
Social media, however, have surpassed the traditional media in today’s digital era. It allowed
news organizations to generate news stories in a much wider audience.
Based on the Pew Research Center Survey (2021), a large portion of users in the
United States relies heavily on social media for news. About 43% of users claimed that they
“often” or “sometimes” obtain news from several social media sites. Facebook remains a top
source of news among ten (10) social media platforms, with around 31% of users utilizing it
on a regular basis. The second most common news source is Youtube (22%), and next comes
to Twitter (13%). Meanwhile, other social media sites are less likely to be regular news
sources. Fewer than one-out-of-ten users reported that they acquire news through Instagram
(11%) Reddit (7%), TikTok (6%) Snapchat (4%), LinkedIn (4%), WhatsApp (3%), and Twitch
(1%). On the other note, women are more likely to use Facebook as a news source (64% vs.
45%), while the majority of Twitter’s regular news consumers are men (56% vs. 43%).
With a social media usage rate of over 80.7% as of January 2021, the Philippines has
one of the largest numbers of social network users in Southeast Asia. Filipinos spend an
average time of four (4) hours on social media daily. Facebook is also considered as the most
used social media network, with 96.2% of social media users accessing the platform. Statista
Research Department (2021) reported that approximately 87% of the respondents obtain
9
news from social media and only 16% access news through print media in comparison. It is
also noted that 73% of the respondents use Facebook as a primary news source other than
as a platform for online advertisements. For additional context, 53% of Facebook’s ad
audience is female, while 47% is male.
Young adults’ news consumption on social media
As more people utilize social media, the user base has become increasingly reflective
of the general population. Young adults, particularly ages 18 to 24, were among the first social
media adopters and continue to do so at high levels, as stated in the global news report of
DataReportal.
Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)
(2017) revealed that young adults nowadays have a great interest in news stories around the
world. The findings show that young adults are heavily dependent on smartphones and spend
a significant amount of time on a variety of social media platforms. The primacy of
smartphones influences young adults’ news consumption when in fact, most of them claim
that they access news stories from it on a regular basis.
Another way of illustrating young adults’ news consumption, as reported by the
Reuters Institute (2019), is to investigate where young adults obtain news. While older age
groups are more likely to go directly to a news site via an app or mobile browser (39%), young
adults are more likely to use social media and messaging applications (57%). Facebook is
equally popular as a first destination, and Twitter is twice as popular among young adults
compared to other age profiles.
10
The prevalence of users’ news consumption on social media may signify a definitive
transition away from the complementarity of time spent reading news between print and
broadcast media, with digital sources overtaking traditional media– particularly among young
adult users.
Furthermore, this phenomenon is somewhat woven into their social media usage, as
their media landscape became on-demand and algorithmically curated or personalized.
Chinyanganya (2020) authored that the news stories and/or posts that appear on social media
are tailored to the users’ personal information which is collected through (1) search history;
(2) online shopping habits; (3) platforms used; (4) details given when signing up online; and
(5) privacy settings. In return, social media giants Facebook and Twitter use these to ultimately
create filter bubbles. Fletcher (2020) described filter bubbles as a “situation where news that
we dislike or disagree with is automatically filtered out, and this might have the effect of
narrowing what we know.” To put it simply, users choose to follow certain news organizations
for news consumption while algorithms may be concealing certain news stories and/or posts
from those users who aren't interested in it.
To understand how social media shapes news consumption, Fletcher (2020)
compared a group of people who do not use social media with two other groups of people:
one who intentionally use social media for news, and the other who do not intentionally use
social media for news but recognize news stories and/or posts when scrolling on social media.
He found out that people who use social media, particularly if they are using it for other
reasons, are more likely to be exposed to news, which increases the amount of news they
consume compared to those who do not use social media at all. As a result, those who use
11
social media are increasingly relying on different online news sources. Interestingly, the effect
was stronger for young adults, since they are more adept and engaged at using social media.
Hence, most young adults encounter news, rather than searching for it. The attributes
of smartphones provide constant connectivity, and the algorithmic and chronological logic of
social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter blur the distinction between news and
other types of information, they see on their news feeds. HICSS identified this as incidental
news, an “ideal-typical mode in which young users consume news on social media.” It is
associated with gathering information daily in an abrupt manner, spending short periods of
time doing so, and only partially digesting the content. Summarily, incidental news
consumption is the most common mode of information acquisition among young adults.
Influences on young adults’ selection of news
Several articles, reports, and publications claimed that young adults have distinct
attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, which implies that this may have an influence on what makes
‘useful’ or ‘engaging’ news to them. This is a given practice since young adults are obtaining
too much news and information– especially about current events on their smartphones and
the context in which they come across news changes on a regular basis.
In terms of personal preferences, another study from the Reuters Institute (2019)
discovered that young adults’ lives are largely driven by progress and enjoyment, which then
translates into what they seek in news content. They need news to keep them connected to
the rest of the world and meet a variety of social and personal needs, but they do not regard
traditional media as the best medium to do that. News media is currently competing for
attention along with a plethora of other attractions, and there is a significant amount of
12
‘background’ and ‘indirect’ news exposure through social media, other online conversations,
documentaries, television shows, etc.
Thus, Reuters identified the six core needs that drive young people’s news choices.
On one hand, news caters to a variety of progress-related needs, both personal and social:
(1) status or news that relates to social standing and values knowledge; (2) identity of news
that contributes to defining and demonstrating one’s personality and world view; (3) and
learning or news that develops one’s news skills and ways of perceiving the world, as well as
to make wiser decisions and remain ahead of the curve. On the other, news also appeals to
people’s desires for enjoyment, which can be just as inwardly focused as outwardly or socially
focused: (4) connections or news that helps enhance daily conversations; (5) entertainment
or news that immerses in other worlds for pleasure, inspiration, creativity, or simply for passing
time; (6) passion or news that helps fuel and pursue one’s interest. Thus, the study suggested
that news outlets must publish articles about progress or enjoyment in the online news space
to emphasize the major themes of young adults’ goals and ambitions.
Most individuals use social media for hedonistic reasons, such as entertainment or
connecting with friends, rather than utilitarian ones such as accomplishing work
responsibilities or determining whether a view is correct, as stated in the research of Kim &
Dennis (2020). The research suggests that individuals with a hedonistic mindset are less likely
to critically consider information than those with a utilitarian mindset since their consumption
is tied to what they desire the reality to be, rather than what they know to be real. The
researchers then added that selecting information that supports one’s pre-existing beliefs is
more enjoyable than selecting information that challenges them. Furthermore, the choice to
act on a news item can be influenced by emotion, with liking being driven more by emotion,
13
commenting by cognition, and sharing by both. Thus, one crucial element influencing the
decision to select, read, like, comment on or share social media news stories, as well as its
believability, is the fit with pre-existing beliefs.
Understanding of news
Palmer (2020) presented the analysis of decoding data in Facebook by redefining
Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model. When decoding news posts in the news feed, users
follow a four-step process: (1) appraisal of unmarkedness; (2) comprehension of the message;
(3) identification of relevance; (4) post-decoding responses. The appraisal of unmarkedness
refers to an early stage of understanding, where users assess if the message’s values
matched their own set of values in the context of their newsfeed. At the end of this process, a
news post may be unmarked (justified in the context of their newsfeed); partially marked
(users understand why the news post has been selected but do not share its values), or
marked (undesirable in the context of the newsfeed). If the article is marked (which rarely
happens), users tend to read the referent news article in its entirety to validate their
assessment and report it. If it is partially marked, they tend to be upset but move on to another
news post. If the article is unmarked, then they move on to the second process of decoding,
which is the comprehension of the message. After comprehending, they tend to analyze or
evaluate the message’s relevance to see if they wish to devote resources to it. Depending on
the types of relevance carried by the news items, different post-decoding responses are
triggered (e.g. opening the news post’s URL, liking, commenting, sharing, moving on to the
next post, etc.). These post-decoding responses appeared to be systematic and diverse.
The characteristics of a decoding sequence were also analyzed and discussed in the
study. First, users appear to hyper-decode their newsfeeds, which means they decode a
14
significant quantity of news content in a short amount of time. They did this by filtering it, which
included an early understanding of the ideological aspects of the news post content. This
understanding is characterized in relation to the decoder’s position, that is the dominant code.
The second characteristic is the systematic and diverse nature of post-decoding responses.
At the end of the decoding process, users systematically generated a post-decoding
response. These responses were either conscious (e. g. likes, shares, comments) or
unconscious (e. g. browsing down their newsfeed, interrupting a video), and they contain
information regarding the decoding position adopted by users.
News engagement based on structure
There are some major aspects of news to consider in this context: the context and
format of news. There are also other important distinctions to examine, such as between
platforms (e.g., Facebook and Twitter), and media. Aside from that, there are a few
hypotheses to delve into, such as the effect of users’ level of interest in the news young adults
consume. Thus, it is critical for news outlets to understand the content structure in each time
and medium to establish news consumer engagement.
The news media on Facebook, for instance, uses a consistent and identifiable
structure to deliver news from news outlets. Welbers & Opgenhaffen (2018) justified that this
is not always the platform’s own preference, but rather a result of their technological
capabilities and limitations. That is the link attached to an article on a news site from the
Facebook news account displays in roughly the same format regardless of how credible the
source is.
15
Figure 2 shows the typical structure of a news item on Facebook. Almost often, the
news item is in the form of a link card, which consists of a photo with a headline underneath,
maybe one or more words from the lead, a link to the news site’s URL followed by the source,
and the option to comment below. However, there is also a room at the top of the item to
include a caption or status message that understands, illustrates, and summarizes the
content.
Figure 3. The structure of a Facebook news item
The caption is placed at the top of the item and briefly refers to the article below.
Words, phrases, a short paragraph, or a quote can all be used to convey a message. They
also resemble traditional headlines by summarizing the main content of the news article, but
they can take less conventional forms, such as joking about the news item, addressing the
reader, or expressing strong emotions accompanied by one or multiple emoticons. This is
relevant for two reasons: (1) it gives an empirical window into the development of new norms
16
and routines for social media journalism; (2) the caption can influence the audience’s selection
and understanding of the news. It also has the potential to impact news consumers’ selective
scanning behavior, as well as the framework in which they understand this news item.
Twitter, on the other hand, can be used for live reporting and for extensive news
discussion aside from being a social networking tool. The platform provides a mix of news,
information, and comments, generally linked to current events, but without an established
order. Meyer (2015) found out that the simple format of a Twitter message, which is also called
a tweet, allows news organizations to disseminate information, and promote their content by
sending consumers back to their own news site.
Figure 3 presents the anatomy of a news tweet. When composing a tweet, additional
materials such as links, photos, video, and audio can also be shared. This facilitates the
dissemination of first-hand, user-generated material that documents unfolding events as
directly experienced by the user. It can also be accompanied by a hashtag, a brief keyword
preceded by the hash (#) symbol to make it more visible. Clicking on a hashtag allows
consumers to view other tweets that contain the same keyword or topic, regardless of whether
these tweets come from their existing followers or unknown users. These features take
Twitter’s capabilities well beyond the 280-character limit, providing a rich media layer to the
tweet itself– and these multimedia materials also frequently make their way into mainstream
media coverage. Some news outlets take advantage of the character limit by creating a good
and pithy headline-length caption.
Figure 4. The anatomy of news on Twitter
17
Meyer also asserted that these structural features are more effective to the consumers
than the news item alone, thus news organizations use it to increase audience engagement.
Tweets with more structural features will create a strong impression on their followers. For
example, if news organizations want to compose a tweet with a link attached to generate
traffic, then it should also include additional materials like hashtags, links, photos, or a video.
Moreover, user engagement will be coded based on the tweet’s replies, retweets, and likes.
This helps them to identify and connect with people who are interested in their articles, and
the more interactions through structural features, the more replies, retweets, and likes a news
tweet can get, which will lead to a higher level of user engagement. This may be an interesting
strategy for news outlets to utilize in order to pique the interest of their audience. Overall,
Twitter’s communication flow is determined by two complementary and interdependent
channels: one that is long-term and stable, based on follower-following relationships; and
18
another that is relatively short-term and adaptive, based on a shared interest in the topic and
coordinated by a common tweet structure feature, particularly hashtags.
Meanwhile, Kim & Dennis (2018) investigated that the news format influences the
believability of a news story and the behavior of social media users. Since it follows a standard
structure, Facebook, for example, tends to present a story as “news” without putting much
emphasis on the source. It only highlights the headline and presents the item as we might see
on a news site. Consequently, users read the content first and consider the source as an
afterthought. Kim & Dennis argued that this interface design disrupts how users process
information, making them more likely to accept the content without the normal consideration
of the source. To encourage users to be more critical of the content, the researchers explored
different news formats to examine how they affect the users’ trust and actions (e.g., read, like,
comment, and share). Results have shown that highlighting the source and including a source
rating in the format induces users to evaluate the content and its believability, which, in turn,
can affect the users’ engagement. Kim & Dennis then explained that users can choose
whether to read the story or not (e.g., read), as well as to provide feedback (e.g., like or
comment), and contribute to the spread of the story (e.g., share). Each of these actions is
distinct; users can like, comment, or share a story without reading it beforehand, though most
users’ actions are consistent– reading before liking, sharing only after reading and liking a
story, and so on.
In addition, Reuters Institute (2019) revealed that there are two levels of engagement:
(1) Low consumption, which means low levels of engagement with news stories, and users
have minimal or no content engagement at all. (2) High consumption, on the contrary, means
high levels of engagement with news items, and users have regular and high news content
19
engagement. These two points give a framework for understanding the news consumption
patterns of young adults.
Synthesis of Review of Related Literature
This research presented previous studies and sources regarding young adults’ news
consumption on social media. Several discussions of different authors also focused on how
users select, engage, and understands the news content they consume, which are relevant
to the present paper.
A survey of Pew Research Center (2021) discussed the overall demographics of using
social media as a news source. It claimed that 43% of American users obtain news from social
media, and with that evidence, Facebook became a top source of news among a total of ten
(10) social media platforms, with mostly women accessing the platform for that purpose.
Meanwhile in the Philippine context, as stated by Statista Research Department
(2021), 87% of Filipino users obtain news from social media, and 73% believe Facebook to
be the most popular social media platform, not only for social marketing but also as a daily
news source, surpassing print and radio.
DataReportal (2022) revealed on a global news report that young adults, particularly
those between the ages of 18 and 24, were among the first to use social media and continue
to do so at a high rate.
Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)
(2017) then observed the news consumption of young adults, and its findings have shown that
young adults consume news and information with the use of their own smartphones on a
20
regular basis. In addition, Reuters Institute (2019) stated that young adults mostly acquire
news on social media and messaging applications, particularly Facebook and Twitter.
Chinyanganya (2020) stated that young adults' news consumption is woven into their
social media usage and explained that the news stories and/or posts that appear on social
media are tailored to the users’ personal information via (1) search history; (2) online shopping
habits; (3) platforms used; (4) details given when signing up online; and (5) privacy settings
for social media networks like Facebook and Twitter to create filter bubbles.
To illustrate this phenomenon better, Fletcher (2020) compared a group of people who
do not use social media to two other groups: one who uses social media for news, and the
other who does not use social media for news but recognizes news stories and/or posts while
scrolling through social media. People who use social media, especially if they use it for other
purposes, are more likely to be exposed to news, as the results have shown, and this impact
is stronger for young adults, who are more involved with social media.
Furthermore, HICSS justified that the young adults’ media landscape became
algorithmically curated or personalized, allowing them to encounter news more often rather
than searching for it. This was identified as incidental news, the most common mode of
teenagers’ news acquisition that is associated with gathering information in an abrupt manner.
Another study from the Reuters Institute (2019) discovered that young adults select
online news through their personal preferences. They always seek articles about progress
(status, identity, learning) and enjoyment (connections, entertainment, passion) to keep them
connected to the world and meet their own social and personal needs, goals, and ambitions.
21
Kim & Dennis furtherly explained that most individuals use social media for hedonistic
purposes rather than utilitarian ones. The researchers then theorized that the choice to select
and engage a news item can be triggered by these pre-existing beliefs. Pre-existing beliefs,
whether hedonistic or utilitarian, can also have a direct impact on how credible a news story
is considered to be.
Palmer (2020) showed that users decode online news in four steps: (1) appraisal of
unmarkedness; (2) comprehension of the message; (3) identification of relevance; (4) post-
decoding responses. During the process of appraisal of unmarkedness, users evaluate if
news content is unmarked, partially marked, or marked. Depending on the outcomes of each
hyper-decoding process, users appear to generate post-decoding responses; then they
correspond to systematic feedback on the algorithmically generated newsfeed under the form
of a dialogue discourse.
Welbers & Opgenhaffen (2018) examined the news item structure on Facebook to
understand how user engagement takes place. The said platform delivers news in the form of
a link card, which includes a photo, headline, partial lead, news site’s URL, and name of the
source. The study also pointed out that there is room to put captions at the top of the news
item in order to influence the users’ selection and understanding of the news. Twitter has
almost the same structure, however, Meyer (2015) asserted that the news item can be
accompanied with a hashtag to make the message or also called a tweet become more visible
to the news outlets’ followers and potential consumers. It is notable that these structural
features will lead to a higher level of user engagement, and that this may be a useful strategy
for news outlets to grab their audiences’ attention.
22
On another note, Kim & Dennis (2018) explored how the news format affects the
believability of a news story and the engagement level (e.g., read, like, comment, and share)
of social media users by highlighting the source and including a source rating, as opposed to
the current standardized format of Facebook, which has led users to become more critical of
the content.
Moreover, Reuters Institute (2019) revealed that there are two levels of engagement
that young adults incorporate: one is low consumption, in which users only have minimal or
no content engagement at all; and another is high consumption, in which users have regular
and high news engagement.
23
Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
Method of Research
The researchers have used the Quantitative research design. In order to give exact
and relevant statistical data, quantitative researchers must design measurements of
constructs such as apprehension, astuteness, or contentment. This means creating context-
sensitive research mechanisms for a certain location, region, or setting, or creating
mechanisms that can produce meaningful and comparable results across multiple frameworks
(Pramodini & Sophia, 2012).
This study also used the descriptive approach of research. Descriptive Method is the
examination and description of occurrences in real-life situations. It gives an accurate
explanation of specific, individual, and meaning features, as well as explaining what exists. It
is a method of obtaining, evaluating, classifying, and tabulating data regarding current
conditions, practices, beliefs, processes, trends, and cause-and-effect linkages, as well as
providing acceptable and correct understanding of such data with or without statistical
treatment (Calderon & Gonzales, 2010).
Population, Sampling Size, and Sampling Technique
Population
24
The participants for this study are Filipino social media users, particularly young adults.
In the digital report released by Kemp, as of January 2022, there are about 28.7 million social
media users in the Philippines with ages ranging from 18-24 years old.
Sampling Size and Sampling Technique
The study has used Simple Random Sampling, a probability sampling technique. The
researchers utilize Slovin's method to determine the required sample size for data collection.
Applying the given formula with a 90% confidence level and 10% margin of error, it amounted
to a total of one hundred (100) young adults which will be included in the study.
SLOVIN’S FORMULA:
Formula: Wherein:
n= N / 1+Ne2 n- sample size
N- Total Population
e- 0.10
Description of the respondents
The participants for this study were Filipino social media users who are classified as
young adults. According to the Young Adult Development Project of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, a series of developmental shifts originated from a variety of theories
and research frameworks resulting in the formation of three age classifications. Young adults,
one of the three categories (along with Adolescents and Full-grown adults), are generally
defined between the ages of 18 and 24.
25
As mentioned in the report by Kemp, Filipinos aged 18-24 are one of the age groups
that make up the total social media users in the Philippines. The target respondents are
expected to use social media to seek news and are therefore exposed to a variety of news
posts and/or articles.
Research Instrument
For the study, a self-structured survey questionnaire was utilized to collect data and is
divided into three sections.
Section I deals with the demographic profile of the respondents, particularly, their
gender, social media used for news consumption, gadgets used when consuming news, and
their exposure to news on social media.
Section II deals with the respondents choosing from a set of six different news content
of what they usually select when encountering a news post and/or article. They may choose
more than one news content.
When it came to determining what type of news content respondents select on
Facebook and Twitter, the researchers created the list based on a research study conducted
by the Reuter’s Institute which was discussed in the review of related literature (see Influences
on young adults’ selection of news).
1. Status: News that keeps you updated.
2. Identity: News that builds and contributes to defining who you are, and your
worldview.
3. Learning: News that broadens or increases your knowledge.
4. Connection: News that enables you to connect to others, relate, and engage in
mutual conversations.
26
5. Entertainment: News that is entertaining and fun. Very light and brings pleasure.
6. Passion: News that helps fuel your passions and interests.
Section III deals with a set of statements that will identify how the respondents
understands a news post and/or article under each news content.
For this, three sets of statements are asked. In formulating the statements, the
researchers used the reception theory’s three examples of decoding/ understanding a media
message as a basis. One’s personal beliefs and values were also integrated in the
statements basing it off on how understanding of news was explained by the active audience
theory and reception theory (see understanding of news under the theoretical framework).
Lastly, Section IV deals with how the respondents engage with these news posts
and/or articles under each news content based on the existing social media news structure.
As mentioned in the review of related literature (see the study of Kim and Dennis under
News engagement based on structure), it was explained in engaging in a news post and/or
article online, a user can choose an action depending on (1) whether they would open or read
a news story or not, and (2) provide feedback and contribute to the story's spread.
Keeping this in mind, the researchers were then able to identify seven types of actions,
namely:
1. Open and Read
2. Open and Read, React, and/or Comment
3. Open and Read React and/or Comment, Share and/or retweet
4. Open and Read, Share, and/or Retweet
5. React and/or comment Share and/or Retweet
6. React and/or comment
27
7. Share and/or Retweet
Meanwhile, in the study of Welbers & Opgenhaffen, they provided a typical structure of
news of both Facebook and Twitter. It contains the following:
1. Headline
2. Photo/Thumbnail
3. Captions of a news post
4. Engagement (Reactions/Comments) of a news post.
Data Gathering Procedure
After the survey questionnaire was constructed by the researchers and is evaluated,
adjusted, and approved by the research adviser, the researchers proceeded with sourcing for
the respondents needed for the study. Given the current situation due to the Covid-19
pandemic, surveys were conducted online, specifically through google forms. The researchers
posted the link of the survey form to the chosen social media platforms (Facebook and
Twitter). After the number of respondents is met and the surveys are done, the result were
tabulated and was prepared for statistical analysis.
Statistical Treatment
In order to interpret the collected data, the researchers will be using descriptive
statistical analysis. Through the descriptive statistical analysis, the researchers will be able to
describe the features of data and show or summarize data in the form of tables, charts, and/or
graphs.
28
Through the descriptive statistical analysis, statistical tools will be used. This includes
the following:
1. Frequency Distribution
By constructing a frequency distribution of the scores, the researchers can visualize
or illustrate the data collected in a sample. Specifically, the distribution of observations within
a particular test.
2. Percentage
A percentage, often known as a percent, is a fraction of a number that is less than 100
percent. Percentage denotes a portion of a total amount and means "per one hundred."
Formula:
%=F/N x 100
Wherein:
%= Percent
F = Value
N= Total Value
29
Chapter 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
I. Profile of the Respondent
Table 1.
Respondent’s Profile
Respondent’s Profile Category No. of Responses

Gender Male 32
Female 68
Facebook 29
Social Media Twitter 7
Both 64
Phone/Tablet 49
Gadget Computer/Laptop 1
Both 50
Direct from news pages 20
News Exposure Shared posts 8
Both 72
Table 1 presents the demographic profile of the respondents which are divided into
four categories: gender, social media usage, gadget usage, and news exposure on social
media.
Out of the 100 respondents, the majority were Females at 68 and is then followed by
Males at 32.
30
In terms of preferred social media platforms for news consumption, the majority of the
respondents have answered to using both Facebook and Twitter with 64 responses. This is
followed by Facebook-only users with 29 responses and Twitter-only users with 7 responses.
For gadgets commonly used for news consumption, the majority of the respondents
have answered to using both Phone and/or Tablet as well as Computer and/or Laptop
gathering 50 responses. This is followed by those using only Phone and/or Tablet with 49
responses and Computer and/or Laptop with 1 response.
Lastly, for social media news exposure, the majority of the respondents have claimed
that they receive news both directly from news pages as well as shared posts of friends and/or
mutuals. This garnered 72 responses, followed by direct from news pages at 20 responses
and from shared posts of friends and/or mutuals with 8 responses.
II. Social Media News Selection
Table 2.
Social Media News Selection
News Content No. of Responses Rank

Status 90 1st
Learning 86 2nd
Entertainment 69 3rd
Connection 52 4th
Identity 42 5th
Passion 41 6th
Table 2 presents the overall ranking of news content that Filipino young adults usually
select when consuming news on social media.
Based on the table, Status-related news content ranks first with 90 responses. This is
followed by Learning-related news content with 86 responses, Entertainment-related news
31
content with 69 responses, Connection-related news content with 52 responses, Identity-
related news content with 42 responses, and Passion-related news content with 41
responses.
In the study from Reuters Institute, news contents such as Status, Identity and
Learning are considered as Progress-themed news content. This suggests that the
respondents who selected these type of news contents consumes different news that focuses
on their self (goals, values, personal development) as well as their position in society.
Meanwhile, Connection, Entertainment, and Learning falls under Enjoyment-themed news
content. This suggests that unlike progress-themed news contents, enjoyment-themed news
contents are consumed by respondents not only for their personal gain but also focuses on
their social needs.
III. Understanding News from social media
Following how the respondents understands a news post and/or article under each of the-
six news content, the influence of one’s personal beliefs, and values were put into
consideration in constructing the following statements. The researchers also used the
reception theory, particularly, the three examples of decoding and/or understanding a media
message (dominant, negotiated, oppositional) in categorizing the respondents.
A. Dominant
Table 3. A.
Understanding of News from Social Media (Dominant)
Total
Statement News Content
Responses
Status 67
Identity 63
32
Learning 66
“I can understand a news post and/or
Connection 57
article regardless of whether I’m aware
Entertainment 69
of the topic or not.”
Passion 68
Table 3. A. presents the number of responses each news content receives under the
first statement that is meant to represent dominant understanding. Entertainment-related
news content receives the highest response with 69, followed by Passion-related news
content with 68, Status-related news content with 67, Learning-related news content with 66,
Identity-related news content with 63, and lastly, Connection-related news content with 57.
With the total response of 100, the data immediately shows that most of the
respondents are considered as an example of a dominant audience. As stated by the
reception theory, the dominant audience are passive, and they get all the information in its
entirety. Taking the results into consideration, this means that they have no problem
understanding a news post and/or article as well as its message regardless of if it coincides
with their values or not.
B. Negotiated
Table 3. B.
Understanding of News from Social Media (Negotiated)
Total
Responses
Status 33
“I understand a news post and/or Identity 37
article but when it causes me to have Learning 34
some reservations, I turn to my beliefs Connection 57
to understand it better.” Entertainment 28
Passion 32
Table 3. B. presents the number of responses each news content receives under the
second statement that is meant to represent negotiated understanding. Connection-related
33
news content receives the highest response with 57, followed by Identity-related news content
with 37, Learning-related news content with 34, Status-related news content with 33, Passion-
related news content with 32, and lastly, Entertainment-related news content with 28.
In this table, respondents identified as an example of a negotiated audience makes up
the second highest group in terms of data results. This suggests that they only receive the
message but do not accept it completely. This happens because using their personal ideas to
decode a news post and/or article, they have the tendency to modify its message for better
understanding.
C. Oppositional
Table 3. C.
Understanding of News from Social Media (Oppositional)
Total
Responses
Status 0
Identity 0
“I find it hard to understand a news post Learning 0
and/or article regardless of whether I
Connection 4
can relate to it or not.”
Entertainment 3
Passion 0
Table 3. C. presents the number of responses each news content receives under the
third statement that is meant to represent oppositional understanding. Connection-related
news content receives the highest response with 4, followed by Entertainment-related news
content with 3. Meanwhile, the remaining news contents including Status, Identity, Learning,
and Passion didn’t receive any responses at all.
Respondents who make up this category have obtained the lowest number of results.
This shows that only a few have a hard time understanding a news post and/or article. This
34
happen because an oppositional audience will receive the message, but they utterly disagree
with it and reject the message's meaning.
IV. Social Media News Engagement
Turning to the process of how the respondents engage with a news post and/or article
under each of the six-news content, it was explained in the research instrument how the
researchers identified four social media news elements as well as the formulation of actions
that correlate to their engagement.
To categorize the respondents, the researchers used the levels of engagement as
defined by the Reuters Institute which was explained in the related literature (see News
engagement based on structure). With this, the researchers were able to collectively group
the following actions as either high or low engagement:
High engagement: “Open and Read”, “Open and Read, react and/or comment”, “Open
and read, react and/or comment, share/retweet”, and “Open and read, share/retweet”.
Low engagement: “React and/or comment, share/retweet”, “React and/or comment”,
“share/retweet”.
A. News Headline
Table 4. A.
Social Media News Engagement (News Headlines)
Frequency
Total
News Content Action of Engagement (level of
Responses
engagement)
Open and read 51
Open and read, React and/or
17
comment
Status 98
13
comment, Share/retweet
Open and read, Share/retweet 17
35
React and/or comment,
2
Share/retweet
2
React and/or comment 0
Share/retweet 0
Open and read 54
13
comment
97
13
Identity
1
Share/retweet
3
Share/retweet 0
Open and read 45
16
comment
Open and read, React and/or 96
20
Learning
0
Share/retweet
4
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 51
15
comment
97
17
Connection
1
Share/retweet
3
Share/retweet 0
Open and read 48
12
comment
Entertainment 90
19
36
6
Share/retweet
10
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 48
16
comment
93
18
Passion
2
Share/retweet
7
Table 4. A. presents the total responses each news content receives when engaging
with a news post and/or article based on the article’s headline. Across the six news contents,
Status-related news content receives the highest frequency at 98. This is followed by Identity,
and Connection-related news content at 97, Learning-related news content at 96, Passion-
related news content at 93, and Entertainment-related news content at 90.
Based on the table, this means that actions identified as high level of engagement
(“open and read”, “open and read, react and/or comment”, “open and read, react and/or
comment, share/retweet” and “open and read, share/retweet”) receives the highest set
responses. Meanwhile, actions identified as low level of engagement (“react and/or comment,
share/retweet”, “react and/or comment”, and “share/retweet”) receives the lowest set of
responses.
B. Photo/Article’s Thumbnail
Table 4. B.
Social Media News Engagement (Photo/Article’s Thumbnail)
37
Total
News Content Action of Engagement Frequency
Responses
Open and read 53
Open and read, React and/or comment 13
Open and read, React and/or comment, 93
10
Share/retweet
Status
React and/or comment, Share/retweet 4 7
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 55
12
Share/retweet
Identity
React and/or comment, Share/retweet 2
React and/or comment 3 6
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 50
16
Share/retweet
Learning
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 54
14
Share/retweet
Connection
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 45
15
Entertainment Share/retweet
12
38
Share/retweet 2
Open and read 41
19
Share/retweet
Passion
Share/retweet 2
Table 4. B. presents the total responses each news content receives when engaging
with a news post and/or article based on the post’s photo or the article’s thumbnail. From the
six news contents, Learning-related news content receives the highest frequencies at 95. This
is followed by Identity-related news content at 94, Status and Connection-related news
content at 93, and Entertainment and Passion-related news content at 88.
Based on the table, this means that actions identified as high level of engagement (“open
and read”, “open and read, react and/or comment”, “open and read, react and/or comment,
share/retweet” and “open and read, share/retweet” ) receives the highest set responses.
Meanwhile, actions identified as low level of engagement (“react and/or comment,
responses.
C. Post Captions
Table 4. C.
Social Media News Engagement (Post Captions)
Total
Responses
Open and read 53
Status 8
Share/retweet
39
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 57
15
Share/retweet
Identity
Share/retweet 1
Open and read 49
16
Share/retweet
Learning
Share/retweet 0
Open and read 53
13
Share/retweet
Connection
Share/retweet 0
Open and read 47
14
Entertainmen Share/retweet
t Open and read, Share/retweet 14
Share/retweet 2
Open and read 48
18
Share/retweet
Passion
Share/retweet 1
40
Table 4. C. presents the total responses each news content receives when engaging
with a news post and/or article based on the post’s caption. Across the six news contents,
Status, Identity, and Connection-related news content receive the highest frequencies at 96.
This is followed by Learning-related news content at 95, Passion-related news content at 93,
and Entertainment-related news content at 92.
responses.
D. Post Engagements
Table 4. D.
Social Media News Engagement (Post Engagement)
Total
Responses
Open and read 50
11
Share/retweet
Status
Share/retweet 3
Open and read 52
Identity 14
Share/retweet
41
Share/retweet 6
Open and read 50
13
Share/retweet
Learning
Share/retweet 2
Open and read 54
13
Share/retweet
Connection
Share/retweet 4
Open and read 53
14
Share/retweet
Entertainment
Share/retweet 2
Open and read 45
14
Share/retweet
Passion
Share/retweet 4
Table 4. D. presents the total responses each news content receives when engaging
with a news post and/or article based on the post’s engagement. From the six-news contents,
Learning, and Entertainment-related news content receives the highest frequencies at 92.
42
This is followed by Status, and Connection-related news content at 88 as well as Identity, and
Passion-related news content at 87.
responses.
Overall, based on the tables presented, results have shown that almost all
respondents have high-level of engagement towards a news post and/or article. This means
that people take the time to read and comprehend the news in order to participate by reacting
or sharing their thoughts.
43
Chapter 5
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
Summarizing the results from the data gathered and discussed, the researchers of this
study were able to identify how Filipino young adults consume news through Facebook and
Twitter.
● The results have shown that Filipino young adults consume news on both, Facebook
and Twitter, rather than favoring one over the other.
● Overall, the findings show that Status-related news content (90) is the most popular
type of news content that the respondents select on Facebook and/or Twitter. This is
followed by Learning-related news content (86) and Entertainment-related news
content (69), rounding out the top three. Whereas Connection-related news content
(52), Identity-related news content (42), and Passion-related news content (41) ranked
fourth to sixth place, respectively.
● Putting their personal beliefs and values into consideration, three statements that
would best describe how the respondents would interpret a news post and/article
under each of the six news contents were provided. From this, most respondents have
chosen the first statement, implying that they can comprehend a news post and/or
article regardless of whether or not they are familiar with the content at hand. This is
followed by respondents who selected the second statement, implying that while they
can understand a news post and/or article, they must use their beliefs as a frame of
44
reference to properly comprehend it. Finally, respondents who selected the third
statement, implying as to having difficulties in understanding a news post and/or article
came in last.
● When engaging with a news post and/or article based on the different social media
news elements, the respondents can be classified as having a high level of
engagement. This is reflected in the frequencies of each news content, bearing close
or similar results. Because of this, four types of actions identified under high
engagement emerged as the consistent form of engagement among the respondents.
These actions are the following: “Open and read’, “Open and read, react and/or
comment’, “Open and read, react and/or comment, share/retweet”, and “Open and
read, share/retweet”.
Conclusions
First and foremost, due to the limited findings of the study, the researchers understand
and admit that with only a sample size of 100 respondents, the results provided represent only
a fraction of the entire population of Filipino young adults. While it does provide an insight into
their news-consuming process via Facebook and Twitter, the data acquired is limited and
hence does not provide a comprehensive picture of the topic.
As the result of the findings, it has shown how selecting, understanding, and engaging
with a news post and/or article can create a distinct relationship with one another. Taking
one’s personal beliefs as importance, this connects all the three main variables together. This
is because one’s value can affects their decision in selecting the type of news they wish to
consume. This then leads them to having a high-level of engagement to its corresponding
news post and/or article because they find it easy to understand its message.
45
This supports both the active audience theory and the reception theory in the sense
that both theories explains that an audience considers a number of aspects that determine
how they consume various media messages—values or beliefs are an example. It plays an
integral role in the entire process especially in this situation where Filipinos are very strict in
following their values and beliefs.
The following conclusions were reached because of it:
SOP #1. What type of news post and/or article do they usually select when browsing
through Facebook and Twitter?
Looking at the results, every news content that was provided received a significant
number of responses. This supports the study conducted by the Reuters institute which states
that each of the six-news content is important in influencing how young individuals choose the
news they want to read. Among the six-news content, findings have shown that Filipino young
adults appear to choose status-related news content more compared to other news content.
This means that most of the respondents (90) are reported to focus on news that keeps them
updated, playing an important part in their development as both individuals and as a member
of society.
SOP #2. How do they interpret these kinds of news posts and/or articles?
When it comes to interpreting a news post and/or article under a specific news content,
Filipino young adults have been discovered to be dominant. This means that while keeping
one’s personal beliefs and values in mind, the respondents generally accept any information
they receive irrespective of the news content and their level of familiarity with the topic being
discussed.
46
SOP #3. How do they engage with these kinds of news posts and/or articles based on
the news’ social media format and presentation?
With the given elements of a social media news structure, findings have shown that
Filipino young adults engage with a news post through the following actions: “Open and read’,
“Open and read, react and/or comment’, “Open and read, react and/or comment,
share/retweet”, and “Open and read, share/retweet”. This suggests that not only do they open
and read a news post and/or article, but they also provide a corresponding response. This
means that they have both high content engagement and high news engagement, therefore
having a high level of engagement as defined by the Reuters Institute.
Recommendations
Based on the conclusions, the researchers coined the following recommendations:
1. It is recommended that Filipino young adults must be mindful of their social media
news consumption. Considering how rampant misinformation or “fake news” is
today, they should be aware and cautious to only receive news from credible and
reliable sources.
2. It is recommended that media practitioners and/or journalists must be observant
of how social media users consume news. By learning consumer patterns and
behaviors, media practitioners and journalists would be able to understand and
potentially, contribute to making solutions that would help users filter the content
they consume.
3. For future researchers, it is recommended that they use this study to come up with
more broad approaches when tackling social media news consumption. A
47
comparative study that deals with a wider scope or focuses on a specific
demographic is highly advised.
48
REFERENCES
Chinyanganya, R. (2020, December 14). How algorithms and filter bubbles decide what we see on social media. BBC Bitesize. Retrieved March
12, 2022, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zd9tt39
Fletcher, R. (2020, February 24). The truth behind Filter Bubbles: Bursting some myths. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Retrieved
March 12, 2022, from https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/truth-behind-filter-bubbles-bursting-some-myths
Fletcher, R., & Nielsen, R. K. (2017). Are people incidentally exposed to news on social media? A comparative analysis. New Media & Society,
20(7), 2450–2468. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817724170
Galan, L., Osserman, J., Parker, T., & Taylor, M. (2019). How Young People Consume News and The Implications for Mainstream Media. Oxford.
Reuters Institute.
Kemp, S. (2022, February 15). Digital 2022: The Philippines - datareportal – global digital insights. DataReportal. Retrieved March 12, 2022, from
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-philippines
Kim, A., & Dennis, A. (2018). Says who?: How news presentation format influence perceived believability and the engagement level of social media
users. Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. https://doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2018.497
Liang, H., Fu, K. (2017). Information Overload, Similarity, and Redundancy: Unsubscribing Information Sources on Twitter.
Watermark.silverchair.com
Meyer, K. M. (2015). #Digitaljournalism: Twitter Use of Local Newspapers and Television News Stations. Retrieved from
https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=akron1428323352&disposition=inline
Newman, N., Fletcher, R., Kalogeropoulos, A., & Nielsen, R. K. (2019). Digital News Report 2019. Oxford. Reuters Institute.
49
Noble, L. (2014). Five reasons why traditional media still matters. https://www.prweek.com/article/1280795/five-reasons-why-traditional-media-
matters
Palmer, M. (2020). Facebook as a Meta-Ideological Apparatus. Retrieved from
https://opus.cloud.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/140938/2/02Whole.pdf
Philippine Department of Health. (2017). A Guide for Social Media and Networking Sites for Adolescent and Youth, Reproductive Health Advocacy.
https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/basic-page/SoMe4AYRH%20Guide_Updated-min.pdf
ScholarSpace / AIS Electronic Library. (2017). 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. In Incidental News: How Young People
Consume News on Social Media. Hawaii. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/41371/paper0222.pdf.
Topic: Social media in the Philippines. Statista. (2021, September 16). Retrieved March 12, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/topics/6759/social-
media-usage-in-the-philippines/#dossierKeyfigures
Walker, M. & Matsa, K. E. (2021, June 4). News Use Across Social Media Platforms in 2021. Pew Research Center's Journalism Project.
https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/09/20/news-consumption-across-social-media-in-2021/
Webster, J. G. (2010). User information regimes: How social media shape patterns of consumption. Northwestern University Law Review, 104(2),
593–612.
Wilding, D., Fray, P., Molitorisz, S. & McKewon, E. 2018, The Impact of Digital Platforms on News and Journalistic Content, University of Technology
Sydney, NSW.
50
APPENDICES
51
Appendix 1
Research Instrument
Greetings
Introduction
Data Privacy Consent
Section 1. Profile
Q1. Specify your age (18-24):
Q2. What is your gender?
a. Male
b. Female
c. Rather not say
Q3. What social media application do you usually use in consuming news?
a. Facebook
b. Twitter
c. both
Q4. What gadget do you use when you browse through social media?
a. Mobile Phone
b. Computer/Laptop
c. both
Q5. How do you discover the news on social media?
a. Straight from the news accounts/pages
b. Shared posts from friends and/or mutuals
c. both
Section 2. Social Media News Selection

Instructions: Please select among the following factors that you usually consider when
seeking news posts and/or articles from social media. (you can choose more than one)
News Content No. of Responses

Status (News that keeps you
updated)
Identity (News that builds and
contributes to defining who you
are, and your views.)
Knowledge (News that
broadens or increases your
knowledge)
52
Connection ((News that
enables you to connect to
others, relate, and understand)
Entertainment (News that are
entertaining and fun. Very
light, and brings pleasure)
Passion (News that helps fuel
your passions and interests)
Section 3. Understanding of News from Social Media

Instructions: Kindly choose your assessment when understanding a specific news post and/or
article.
1. Status:
a. I understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether I’m aware of
the topic or not.
b. I understand a news post and/or article but when it causes me to have
reservations, I turn to my beliefs to understand them better.
c. I find it hard to understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether
I’m aware of the topic or not.
2. Identity
a. I understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether it fits my
values/views or not.
reservations, I turn to my beliefs to understand it better.
c. I find it hard to understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether it
fits my values/views or not.
3. Learning
a. I understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether I know the topic
or not.
c. I find it hard to understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether I
know the topic or not.
4. Connections
a. I understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether I can relate to it
or not.
can relate to it or not.
5. Entertainment
a. I understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether I find it
amusing or not.
find it amusing or not.
53
6. Passion
a. I understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether it interests me
or not.
c. I find it hard to understand a news post and/or article regardless of whether it
interests me or not.
Section 4. Social media News Engagement

Instructions: Kindly indicate your assessment on how you participate and/or respond to a news
post you saw and/or to an article you read on social media based on the following indicators:
I. Status
1. Its news Headline
A. Open and Read
B. Open and Read, React and/or comment, share/retweet
C. Open and Read, React and/or comment
D. Open and Read, share/retweet
E. React and/or comment, share/retweet
F. React and/or comment
G. Share/retweet
2. Photo/Article’s Thumbnail
A. Open and Read
B. Open and Read, React and/or comment, share//retweet
G. Share/retweet
3. Post Caption
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
4. Post Engagements (Reactions, Comments, and/or shares)

A. Open and Read
E. React and/or comment, share
54
G. Share/retweet
II. Identity
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
3. Post Caption
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
4. Post Engagements (Reactions, Comments, and/or shares/retweet)

A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
III. Learning
A. Open and Read
55
G. Share/retweet
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
3. Post Caption
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet

A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
IV. Connection
1. Its news headline
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
56
3. Post Caption
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet

A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
V. Entertainment
1. Its news headlines
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
3. Post Caption
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
57
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
VI. Passion
1. Its news headline
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
3. Post Caption
A. Open and Read
G. Share/retweet
4. Post Engagements (Reactions, Comments, and/or shares)

A. Open and Read
B. Open and Read, React and/or comment, share
D. Open and Read, share
E. React and/or comment, share
G. Share
58

Final Thesis Manuscript

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Final Thesis Manuscript

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FACEBOOK AND TWITTER NEWS CONSUMPTION: A STUDY ON

THE SELECTION, UNDERSTANDING, AND ENGAGEMENT OF

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Ryan Vincent G. De Serra

Prof. Renalyn J. Valdez

appreciate her advice, ideas, moral support, and understanding.

knowledge and expertise to further improve our paper.

the success of this paper to his holy name.

Title: Facebook and Twitter News Consumption: A Study on the

Researchers: Ryan Vincent G. De Serra, Alyssa Ross R. Jorta

Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Institution: Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Adviser: Prof. Renalyn J. Valdez

research method to provide an accurate explanation of the phenomena and/or scenario

presented on both social media sites.

List of Figures vii

1 The Problem and its Setting

Statement of the Problem 6

Scope and Limitations of the Study 7

Significance of the Study 7

2 Review of Literature and Studies

Social media as a news source 9

Young adults’ consumption on social media 10

Influences on young adults’ selection of news 12

News engagement based on structure 15

Synthesis of Review of Related Literature 20

Population, Sampling Size, and Sampling Technique 24

Description of the Respondents 25

4 Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

Profile of the Respondents 30

Social Media News Selection 31

Understanding of News from Social Media 32

Social Media News Engagement 35

5 Summary of Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Number Title Page

1 Profile of the Respondents 30

2 Social Media News Selection 31

3 Understanding of News from Social Media (Dominant) 32

4 Understanding of News from Social Media (Negotiated) 33

5 Understanding of News from Social Media (Oppositional) 34

8 Social Media News Engagement (Post Captions) 39

9 Social Media News Engagement (Post Engagements) 32

Number Title Page

3 Structure of a Facebook News Item 16

4 The anatomy of news on Twitter 18

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

on and depended on for decades.

the help of their social media use and habits.

posts and/or articles that are found on Facebook and Twitter.

role in how audiences assess media content.

alternative approaches to decode/understand a message.

by reflecting on their personal beliefs and/or principles.

An oppositional audience decodes messages in a contrary manner. Meaning that

the message meant.

Active Audience Theory

which is influenced by examples of personal beliefs, personality, values, interests, education,

Audience theory and the reception theory

replacing the three aspects of decoding a message.

Figure 1. The Conceptual Framework

elements present in a social media news post.

Figure 2. The Operational Framework

Statement of the Problem

through Facebook and Twitter?