Flow Theory on Sharing Fake News in Social Media

Readings:

• Weber, R., Tamborini, R., Westcott-Baker, A., & Kantor, B. (2009). Theorizing flow and media enjoyment as cognitive synchronization of attentional and reward networks. Communication Theory, 19(4), 397-422. Attached here:  TheorizingFlow_Weber et al.pdf TheorizingFlow_Weber et al.pdf - Alternative Formats
    


• Obada, D.R. (2019). Sharing fake news about brands on social media: A new conceptual model based on flow theory. Argumentum, 17(2), 144-166. The research highlighted in this article uses flow theory as a framework to understand the dissemination of fake news about brands.


• Grusczcynski, M. & Wagner, M.W. (2017). Information flow in the 21^st century: The dynamics of agenda-uptake. Mass Communication and Society, 20, 378-402. The authors of this article propose agenda-update as a theory of flow information, identifying the roles played by the media and by news consumers in directing information flow by adopting prescribed agendas as salient.

In one page, with your personal experience and the readings, answer 2 questions:

1.In what ways can a deep understanding of flow theory benefit the work of public relations or other communications practitioners?

2.Scholars who study flow theory and media often focus specifically on the experience of flow when playing video games. Are there ways that flow theory can be applied to other types of media? How might the flow experience differ between video games and other media? What effects might this have?