Time Well Spent? Exploring Emotional Engagement with News Through Native Experience Sampling

Audience analytics have become ubiquitous in contemporary newsrooms, yet metrics alone may offer a limited understanding of engagement. In response to calls to complement metrics with alternative methods, this study develops an innovative native experience sampling method (NESM) that simultaneously assesses the behavioral, emotional, and evaluative dimensions of engagement. Using pop-up questionnaires on the websites of Dutch and Belgian news brands NRC, Noordhollands Dagblad, and De Standaard (N = 1,241), we measured readers' emotional responses and perceptions of worthwhileness as they read an article. Our findings argue that for an article to be considered “Time Well Spent,” it must not only be consumed but also felt and valued: it should move readers (provoke an emotional response, whether positive or negative) and be purposeful and rewarding, addressing a distinct user need.