Digital Divides and Online Media

Abstract

<p>Digital divide has been a common concern during the past two or<br>three decades; traditionally, it refers to a gap between developed<br>and developing countries in the adoption and use of digital tech-<br>nologies. Given the importance of the topic, digital divide has been<br>also extensively studied, although, hitherto, there is no previous<br>research that would have linked the concept to online media. Given<br>this gap in the literature, this paper evaluates the “maturity” of<br>online media in 134 countries between 2007 and 2016. Maturity<br>is defined according to the levels of national online media con-<br>sumption, diversity of political perspectives presented in national<br>online media, and consensus in reporting major political events in<br>national online media. These aspects are explained by considering<br>explanatory factors related to economy, infrastructure, politics, and<br>administration. According to the empirical results based on a dy-<br>namic panel data methodology, variables representing each aspects<br>are also associated with the maturity of national online media.</p>