What’s This? Incidental Exposure to News on Social Media, News-Finds-Me Perception, News Efficacy, and News Consumption

Abstract

The prevalence of news on social media significantly increases opportunities for people to encounter news incidentally as a byproduct of their online activities. This study explores the influence of incidental exposure to news via social media on the news-finds-me perception, news efficacy, and news consumption. Findings from a two-wave survey of South Korean adults show that (1) incidental exposure is negatively associated with news consumption on traditional and online media; (2) incidental exposure strengthens news-finds-me perception; and (3) news-finds-me perception mediates the relationship between incidental exposure and news consumption on traditional and online media.