ABSTRACT
The rise of the World Wide Web as a mass medium has attracted considerable research attention on the growth (Pew Research Center, 2000, 2002), credibility (Bucy, 2003a; Flanagin & Metzger, 2000; Johnson & Kaye, 1998, 2000), and form of online news sources (Barnhurst, 2002; Bucy, 2003b) as well as the changing role of the journalist in a networked communication system (Newhagen & Levy, 1998). A key feature distinguishing online news from the printed or broadcast version is the interactivity, or reciprocal communication, that the Internet makes possible. Interactive features on news sites, whether in the form of multimedia downloads, searchable archives, hyperlinks, or discussion forums, are assumed to enhance the audience’s access to information while engaging users in processes that, in the words of one influential editor, “use technology to bring people closer to the news” (Brown, 2000, p. 26). At the same time, however, interactive features may exact a considerable cognitive and emotional cost by demanding more patience, expertise, and cognitive resources of the user, increasing the likelihood of confusion, frustration, and reduced memory for news (Sundar, 2000). As news organizations continue to experiment with new methods of digital storytelling, the rise of interactive news and information raises an important question that media research has not adequately addressed: What happens on an emotional level when users are placed in the online news environment and engage with interactive content?
