Contextualized Repertoire Maps: Exploring the Role of Social Media in News-Related Media Repertoires

Authors

  • Lisa Merten Leibniz-Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-21.2.3235

Keywords:

qualitative network research, social network analysis, network maps, repertoire maps, intermediaries, media repertoire, social media, cross-media news use

Abstract

In this article, I introduce contextualized repertoire maps as a qualitative approach to the study of news-related media use. With their origins in the sociological analysis of personal networks, egocentric network maps are adapted here to visualize patterns of media use and then contextualized with qualitative interviews and data collected during participant observation. This integrative approach is illustrated by a study of the routines and practices of news consumption within and around social media platforms. I demonstrate how the mapping exercise can complement other qualitative methods to explore the structure, meaning and processes of cross-media user practices and discuss the scope and limits for visualizing and analyzing the interrelatedness between social media platforms and traditional mass media.

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Author Biography

Lisa Merten, Leibniz-Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut

Lisa MERTEN is a researcher and PhD student at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut in Hamburg. She is interested in patterns of digital news consumption, customization practices in current digital environments and the developments of digital methods. In her dissertation project, she conducts research on practices of social media news use and how this affects other online and offline news consumption.

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Published

2020-05-26

How to Cite

Merten, L. (2020). Contextualized Repertoire Maps: Exploring the Role of Social Media in News-Related Media Repertoires. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-21.2.3235