Effect of online video infotainment on audience attention

The proliferation of social media and online video consumption has created an "attention economy," where capturing audience attention is crucial for media platforms and organizations. With billions of social media users globally and hours spent daily online, online video has become a dominant medium for information dissemination. This study focuses on the impact of "infotainment"—the blending of information and entertainment—on audience attention within online video platforms. Existing research has examined aspects like news value and celebrity effects on attention, but a comprehensive empirical analysis of infotainment's influence is lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by using regression analysis to explore the relationship between various video characteristics, platform features, and audience attention.

The study grounds its investigation in the attention economy theory, which posits that attention is a scarce and valuable resource. Different media environments use different metrics to assess attention value; in the online context, metrics like click-through rates, views, comments, and shares are commonly used. The role of celebrities in capturing attention and driving economic value is also discussed. The study draws on psychological theories of attention, highlighting factors such as the characteristics of the attention object and the nature of the activity. Infotainment, defined as journalism that blends entertainment and information, is introduced as a key concept encompassing various factors affecting attention, including content characteristics (news value, emotions, storytelling), presentation methods, and platform features.

The study employs a quantitative approach, using regression analysis to examine the relationship between infotainment characteristics and audience attention. Data was collected from 2395 videos on the Bilibili platform, a major Chinese video-sharing site. The sample included videos selected from various categories based on their popularity ranking. Variables were created to measure infotainment characteristics, including emotional polarization (positive and negative emotions), celebrity presence, content storytelling, news topic (soft vs. hard news), sensational headlines, time fragmentation (video duration), diversity of presentation methods, number of topics, number of tags, and media authority. Audience attention was operationalized into four dimensions: breadth (measured by playbacks), depth (likes, coins, collections), engagement (bullet screen comments, regular comments), and validity (shares). Principal component analysis was used to determine metric weights for the dependent variables, which were then log-transformed for analysis. Multiple linear regression was conducted to determine the influence of the infotainment characteristics on each dimension of attention.

Regression analysis revealed several key findings: * **Emotional Polarization:** Positive emotions had significant negative effects on all four dimensions of attention, while negative emotions had a positive effect on breadth, engagement, and validity but a negative effect on depth. * **Celebrity Effect:** Celebrity presence positively influenced breadth and validity of attention. * **Content Storytelling:** Storytelling positively impacted breadth, depth, and engagement. * **News Topic:** Soft news topics positively affected breadth of attention. * **Sensational Headlines:** Sensational headlines positively impacted engagement. * **Video Duration:** Shorter video duration negatively impacted depth but positively impacted engagement and validity. * **Diverse Presentations:** Diverse presentation methods positively impacted breadth, depth, and engagement. * **Media Authority:** Authoritative media sources positively impacted breadth and validity, while negatively affecting depth. * **Number of Tags:** The number of tags positively impacted depth, engagement, and validity. * **Number of Topics:** A higher number of topics negatively impacted all four dimensions of attention. The study also found that the number of followers of the video publisher significantly influenced all four dimensions of attention.

The findings suggest that infotainment has a complex and multifaceted impact on audience attention. While certain aspects of infotainment, like celebrity presence and storytelling, enhance attention, others, such as overly positive emotions and an excessive number of topics, may hinder it. The positive influence of negative emotions on engagement and validity highlights the potential for controversy and emotionally charged content to drive sharing and discussion. The negative impact of a large number of topics may reflect the limits of audience attention and the importance of focusing a narrative effectively. The findings have implications for media producers and platforms, suggesting strategies to optimize content for maximum attention while maintaining journalistic integrity. The study's focus on a specific platform (Bilibili) limits its generalizability, highlighting the need for future research on other platforms and cultures.

This study provides a nuanced understanding of how infotainment impacts online video audience attention. It emphasizes the importance of balancing entertainment elements with the integrity and focus of the content itself. Future research could explore cross-cultural comparisons, investigate different platform effects, and delve into the long-term impacts of infotainment on audience attitudes and behaviors.

The study is limited to data from the Bilibili platform, which may not be fully generalizable to other platforms or regions. The sample selection focuses on popular videos, potentially excluding insights from less-popular content. Furthermore, the study's reliance on self-reported data for certain variables might introduce bias. Future research should address these limitations by examining data from multiple platforms and regions and employing a broader range of data collection methods.