Discursive Constructions of URL Posting in Online Discussions
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Abstract
Internet users post URLs in online discussions to share information and provide evidence to support their views. Previous studies have examined the types of URLs posted and the context where URLs are posted. Less is known about how users employ URLs in their discussions with others and the implications of URL posting for misinformation and polarization. To fill this gap, this article reports on an in-depth qualitative discourse analysis of threads where users with opposing opinions on an issue also discuss URLs extensively. These threads provide a rare opportunity to understand users’ discursive constructions of URL posting, that is, how users construe the posting of URLs through their language use. Findings show that users’ idealization of URLs and their focus on the URL itself, rather than the source content, explain why they might circulate (mis)information via URL posting and stick to their own URLs and views, thus remaining polarized from those who disagree with them.
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