What You See and What You Think: Exploring News-ness Perceptions and Media Repertoires in Singapore

This research explores the concept of "news-ness," namely, the audience definition of news characteristics that constitute news. We assess how Singapore audiences define news (i.e., news-ness) and examine how such definitions are shaped by how audiences access news (i.e., news media repertoires). Using focus group discussions and surveys, we identified five repertoires (news omnivores, news avoiders, computer and smartphone users, traditional media users, and smartphone-only users) and four new-ness values (impact, prominence, novelty, and social involvement). We found that respondents endorsed impact and novelty more than prominence and social involvement. News omnivores and computer and smartphone users endorsed all four dimensions of news-ness values more than people with other media repertoires. The study provides insights into how audiences define news differently from journalists. It also shows complex patterns in the relationship between news-ness perceptions and media repertoires.