@article{2017:kalch:replying_,
title = {Replying, disliking, flagging: How users engage with uncivil and impolite comments on news sites},
year = {2017},
note = {Uncivil and impolite user comments diminish the quality of
deliberative discussions in the comment sections of news sites. This
study investigates how users engage against such comments. Replying,
disliking, and flagging are distinguished as different options of user
engagement that vary in their functionality for discussion sections.
To investigate the effects of incivility and impoliteness on user
engagement, we conducted a 2 (civil vs. uncivil user comment) x 2
(polite vs. impolite user comment) online experiment. Results show
that users engaged against impolite comments that attacked Muslims by
flagging or by writing a reply against the language style or a reply
against the expressed opinion. Incivility did not influence user
engagement. The effects are moderated by Islamophobic attitudes. The
results give detailed insights into readers’ behavior in discussion
threads and have consequences for professional moderation.},
journal = {SCM Studies in Communication and Media},
pages = {395--419},
author = {Kalch, Anja and Naab, Teresa K.},
volume = {6},
number = {4}
}