Abstract

This article presents for the first time longitudinal evidence according to which the role of digital news sources has grown dramatically since 2006. The study includes reconstructions of 1,594 news items, authored by a representative sample of Israeli news reporters, and details regarding each item’s sources (n = 5,647). We found that digital sourcing did not open the gates for alternative voices. Moreover, digital sources are verified less than non-digital ones and are mentioned less often in final publications. However, the lower epistemic standards in treating digital sources were explained in a series of follow-up interviews, not due to their elevated trust, but rather due to the traceable footprints of digital sources that can protect journalists against future attacks, thus making these sources reliable. In addition, reporters continue to adhere to elite sources due to the familiarity paradox we found: while in principle reporters understand the ethical value of alternative sources, in practice they dismiss them, as they consider them riskier and less reliable due to their unfamiliarity. This may suggest that until the familiarity paradox is resolved, one cannot expect new technology to democratize the mix of news sources.

摘要

本文首次提供了纵向证据，证明数字新闻来源的作用自 2006 年以来急剧增长。该研究包括由以色列新闻记者代表性样本撰写的 1,594 条新闻的重建，以及有关每条新闻来源的详细信息（n = 5,647）。我们发现数字采购并没有为替代声音打开大门。此外，数字来源的验证少于非数字来源，并且在最终出版物中被提及的频率也较低。然而，在一系列后续采访中解释了对待数字来源的较低认知标准，这并不是因为它们的信任度提高，而是因为数字来源的可追踪足迹可以保护记者免受未来的攻击，从而使这些来源可靠的。此外，由于熟悉悖论，记者继续坚持精英消息来源我们发现：虽然原则上记者了解替代来源的道德价值，但实际上他们会忽略它们，因为他们认为这些来源由于不熟悉而风险更大且不太可靠。这可能表明，在熟悉悖论得到解决之前，人们不能指望新技术使新闻来源的组合民主化。