Journalistic quality in the eye of the beholder: An eye-tracking study on user comments and their effect on journalistic Quality perception

User comments have emerged as a prominent feature accompanying news articles, which has changed how audiences interact with journalistic content. While offering options for reader engagement and community building, previous research has shown that these comments also significantly shape readers’ perception of an article’s journalistic quality. The study extends this research strand with survey data on audience perception and eye-tracking technology in an experiment. This design allows for (1) analyzing eye movement data to gauge the attention paid to user comments and (2) how the presence, tone, and content of these comments influence readers’ perception of overall quality. The results show that high-quality articles are more likely to captivate readers’ interest and maintain their attention throughout the reading process than low-quality ones. Moreover, positive reader comments affect the perception of specific journalistic quality dimensions (e.g., transparency and diversity), while negative comments garner more attention. The findings shed light on this complex interaction between user comments and journalistic quality perception, offering valuable insights for journalists, news organizations, and online platforms striving to optimize the reader’s experience while upholding journalistic standards.