Interacting with news: Exploring the effects of modality and perceived responsiveness and control on news source credibility and enjoyment among second screen viewers

Increasingly media companies are using mobile devices to support second screen interactions. A variety of approaches have been used to examine how individuals might use second screens to interact with first screens. This study examines how individuals might use mobile devices to scan primary screens to receive additional news content. A between subjects experiment was conducted among college-aged audiences to examine how changes in modality and varying perceptions of responsiveness and control influenced attitudes towards news enjoyment and credibility. The results found main effects for perceived responsiveness and control. Further, users who perceived second screen experiences to afford little control increased their assessment of content credibility and enjoyment when presented with higher modality experiences. Implications for the design of second screen interactions are discussed.