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Public Opinion Negotiations in a Digital Media Ecosystem: A Conceptual Framework
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Public Opinion Negotiations in a Digital Media Ecosystem: A Conceptual Framework

Christian Baden, Neta Kligler-Vilenchik, Nina Springer, Marc Jungblut, Asta Zelenkauskaite, Auksė Balčytienė, Susana Salgado, Artur Lipiński, Aleksandra Krstic and Anna Bączkowska
International journal of public opinion research, v 37(3), edaf049
Autumn 2025
url
https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edaf049View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Digital media constitute a key space for the negotiation of public opinion. Despite long-standing research on public opinion climates on digital media, little theory exists that considers their emergence and discursive dynamics. In this article, we conceptualize public opinion negotiations in a digital media ecosystem as a discursive process aimed at delimiting the latitude of normatively acceptable opinions. Building upon theoretical work on predigital media, we distill five enduring aspects to characterize digitally mediated public opinion negotiations as (a) the public expression of (b) normative opinions upon public issues by (c) positioned speakers, resulting in (d) the public negotiation of acceptable stances (e) within digitally mediated public arenas governed by institutional and sociotechnical media logics. Discussing how digital media shape this discursive process, we propose a theory of public opinion negotiations in a digital media ecosystem, flagging operational implications for the empirical study of public opinion processes on digital media.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Communication
Political Science
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