The Human Presence of Legacy News on Social Media Platforms

Abstract

This research focuses on two key dimensions: the prevalence of on-screen speakers and the variety of video formats utilized. A dataset of 160 videos, with 80 from each category, was collected and analyzed. The methodology employed a two-proportion Z-test to compare on-screen speaker presence and a Pearson's Chi-square test to examine differences in video format distribution. Findings revealed a statistically significant divergence in content strategies. Influencers featured a main speaker on screen in a majority of their videos, a rate substantially higher than the 53.75% observed in legacy news content. Furthermore, a significant difference was found in video formats (p < 0.001), with influencers exclusively using "Report" and "Detailed Report" styles, while legacy organizations employed a wider array of formats, including "Press Conference" and "Raw Footage with Text Overlay." These results suggest a fundamental shift in digital news delivery, where influencers prioritize a personalized, narrative-driven approach to build parasocial relationships and foster audience trust, contrasting with legacy media's retention of formats that emphasize direct documentation of events. The study’s findings highlight a critical tension between the demands of engaging short-form video and traditional journalistic practices, with important implications for information literacy and the spread of misinformation in the evolving news ecosystem.