Journalists’ behaviour intention to use social media as a news-gathering tool: Reasoned action approach

Abstract

This study investigates individual and organizational factors and behaviour antecedents that influence journalists to use social media as a news-gathering tool. Here, in this study, it is argued that the implications of social media as a news-gathering tool may be better understood by learning more about the behavioural antecedents mentioned below. Based on the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), we examined three antecedents of journalists’ behaviour intention: individual’s attitude, perceived social norms (injunctive norms, descriptive norms), and perceived behavioural control (PBC) to use social media as a news-gathering tool. The results of linear regression with a heterogeneous sample of 103 journalists indicated the relevance of all three RAA factors in explaining behaviour intension to use social media as a news-gathering tool. Specifically, the PBC evolved as the strongest motivational aspect, followed by perceived norms as stronger factor while attitude did not significantly impact the behaviour intention to use social media as a news-gathering tool. Hence, it can be suggested that organizational interventions may aim at shaping both norms and behavioural control to improve journalists’ behaviour intention to use social media as a newsgathering tool.