City Research Online

Abstract

This study examines news sharing during U.S. primary debates, adding two comparative dimensions to existing research: it compares news-sharing behavior between English- and Spanish-language media and across Facebook and X/Twitter audiences. Our results contradict previous assumptions that horserace and strategic coverage of election news appeal to news audiences cross-culturally. News posts focusing on horserace coverage, candidate personalities, and candidate attacks were more likely to be shared by English media audiences than by audiences sharing debate news from Spanish-language broadcasters. Yet for both English- and Spanish-language audiences, strategic coverage of the debates was more likely to be shared on X/Twitter than Facebook. These findings highlight the importance of not only structural but also sociocultural differences that explain news sharing. Future research may want to critically question the homogeneity of nation states about social media news audiences.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2025 (Lindita Camaj and Lea Hellmueller). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). Available at https://ijoc.org.
Publisher Keywords:	news sharing, Spanish-language media, strategic news, horserace coverage, social media, political debates, 2020 U.S. primary election
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Departments:	School of Communication & Creativity School of Communication & Creativity > Department of Journalism
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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