TY - JOUR
T1 - Structural Determinants of Local Public Affairs Place Blogging
T2 - Structural Pluralism and Community Stress
AU - Watson, Brendan R.
AU - Riffe, Daniel
PY - 2011/11
Y1 - 2011/11
N2 - This study examines the relationship between community-level characteristics and the presence of public affairs place blogs in 232 U.S. cities. Two models to predict the presence of these sites are tested: a structural pluralism model, which suggests that the presence of one of these sites reflects more pluralistic voices, and a community stress model, which suggests that the presence of these sites reflects citizens' efforts to cope with community problems. Analysis of demographic and crime data using logistic regression suggests that the community stress model is the stronger predictor. Public affairs place blogs are more likely in cities with higher murder rates, poverty rates, more physical decay, and more residents with professional occupations. It is these residents-with more education and income, living on the periphery of the most affected urban neighborhoods-who are most likely to go online to write about obtrusive community problems.
AB - This study examines the relationship between community-level characteristics and the presence of public affairs place blogs in 232 U.S. cities. Two models to predict the presence of these sites are tested: a structural pluralism model, which suggests that the presence of one of these sites reflects more pluralistic voices, and a community stress model, which suggests that the presence of these sites reflects citizens' efforts to cope with community problems. Analysis of demographic and crime data using logistic regression suggests that the community stress model is the stronger predictor. Public affairs place blogs are more likely in cities with higher murder rates, poverty rates, more physical decay, and more residents with professional occupations. It is these residents-with more education and income, living on the periphery of the most affected urban neighborhoods-who are most likely to go online to write about obtrusive community problems.
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U2 - 10.1080/15205436.2011.611922
DO - 10.1080/15205436.2011.611922
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84857148236
SN - 1520-5436
VL - 14
SP - 879
EP - 904
JO - Mass Communication and Society
JF - Mass Communication and Society
IS - 6
ER -