Under-the-radar engagement: how and why news users limit their public expression

Abstract

Beyond digital news consumption, users may express themselves in relation to the consumed news—for example, through commenting, sharing, or reacting. They may also limit what is termed here news engagement visibility, the extent to which a user’s involvement with news content can be seen by others. Drawing on privacy calculus theory and literature about engagement, avoidance, and relationship management, this study examines—through 50 in-depth interviews in Canada—how and why news users limit their news engagement visibility. It presents three ways for limiting this visibility, including lower expression volume, more private expression space, or more closed-ended expression type. Furthermore, it introduces the four P’s framework—protection, pointlessness, personality, and particularity—to explain the reasons behind limited news engagement visibility. The study advances the understanding of news engagement by suggesting that it involves the management of visibility boundaries and by elucidating barriers to public expression. The implications of these contributions are discussed.