Ricerc@Sapienza

The aim of this paper is to study journalistic production and how
news users interact with it. More specifically, the approach
adopted is an attempt to bridge the gap between the analysis of
how news outlets disseminate their news on social media
platforms, and that relating to the use of such news within social
contexts. To achieve this twofold objective, the content published
on Facebook, as well as the interactions of users of four
newspapers published in Spain (El Paìs), Italy (la Repubblica),
France (Le Monde), and the UK (The Guardian), were analyzed
during a period of six months (1 November 2016 – 30 April 2017).
The newspapers were selected as quality daily newspapers, in
view of their liberal or center-left political orientation, and their
common editorial experience, resulting from the production of
special issues. The analysis highlights a widespread trend towards
light engagement. These readings are supported not only by the
data on various interaction practices (likes, sharing, and
commenting), but also by those that describe the use of Reactions
– or rather, the chance to go beyond the simple Like.