Towards the operationalization of controversial news: a study of online news articles and reader comments during the 2017 presidential election in South Korea

Chan Woo Kim (), Hyejin Park (), Yeon-Ok Lee () and Han Woo Park ()
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Chan Woo Kim: Center of BigData Analysis, OPINIONLIVE
Hyejin Park: SUNY-Albany
Yeon-Ok Lee: SOAS University of London
Han Woo Park: YeungNam University

Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 2019, vol. 53, issue 3, No 1, 1097-1108

Abstract: Abstract In this brief research note, we propose a set of concepts and methods for identifying and operationalizing controversial news items. Based on an analysis of online readers’ comments posted in response to political news articles in the lead-up to the most recent South Korean presidential election (May 9, 2017), we develop what we term as “controversy indicator.” We calculate a controversy score using the total number of reader comments and the proportion of “upvotes” (indicating approval) and “downvotes” (indicating disapproval) a given news article elicits. Our findings demonstrate the potential usefulness of the controversy indicator in understanding the contemporary news environment, which is becoming increasingly divisive and polluted with disinformation.

Keywords: Controversy indicator; Election; News consumption polarization; Online news; Reader comment; South Korea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1007/s11135-018-0804-8

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