What drives news sharing behaviour among social media users? A relational communication model from the social capital perspective

Abstract

This study modelled the online environmental factors that drive news sharing behaviour, using social capital theory (SCT). An online survey was used to obtain data from 385 WhatsApp users in Nigeria, analysed with structural equation modelling-partial least squares (PLS). The study’s results suggest that social interaction ties, sense of belonging, reciprocity, homophily and trust positively predict news sharing behaviour. Specifically, social interaction ties was the strongest predictor of news sharing behaviour followed by sense of belonging and reciprocity. This study also found a positive association between age and news sharing and a non-significant association with gender. Hence, news sharing should also be viewed as a form of social cohesion from the relational communication perspective. This study has some interesting implications for theoretical advancement. Firstly, it extends the motivations for news sharing beyond the predominant personal motivations highlighted in the literature. Secondly, it contributes to social capital theory by incorporating homophily to form the cognitive aspect of social capital. Thirdly, it extends the application of SCT to comprehend news sharing behaviour on social media platforms (SMPs). Finally, it explores news sharing behaviour beyond the predominant Asian, European and US contexts.