Comparing coverage of disruptive change in social and traditional media - Evidence from the sharing economy
Journal article, 2018

How is social media different to traditional media in coverage of disruptive technological change? We explore how two entrants transforming the personal transportation and accommodation sectors are covered in social and traditional media. Using content analysis, we conclude that these two forms of media differ substantially. Traditional media is focused on how the two entrants affect society and their respective sectors at large while social media instead functions as an accelerator for the entrants as they receive predominantly positive coverage. Our findings therefore suggest that the rise of social media may accelerate the growth of disruptive innovations, which can in turn reduce the window incumbents have to respond.

Traditional media

Social media

Social media analytics

Disruptive innovation

Institutional change

Author

Christofer Laurell

Jönköping International Business School

Christian Sandström

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Science, Technology and Society

Technological Forecasting and Social Change

0040-1625 (ISSN)

Vol. 129 339-344

Areas of Advance

Information and Communication Technology

Driving Forces

Innovation and entrepreneurship

Subject Categories

Economics and Business

DOI

10.1016/j.techfore.2017.09.038

More information

Latest update

10/30/2019