Interactive to me - interactive to you? A study of use and appreciation of interactivity on Swedish newspaper websites

Research has indicated that although online interactive features are not used by the visitors of different web sites, such features might be appreciated by the visitors. This paper examines the use and appreciation of interactive features by visitors on Swedish newspaper web sites. Utilizing an online survey focusing on different traits and habits of newspaper web site visitors, the study presents a typology of visitor personas, characterized by the different ways they use and appreciate interactive features in the online news media context. Although certain personas make extensive use of interactivity, the overall results of the survey points towards rather low levels of both use and appreciation. As such, newspaper web site visitors might be characterized as “slow learners”, taking their time to adapt to the interactive capabilities offered by the online news media.