US Regional Newspapers and Instagram: A Content Analysis

Journalism outlets are regularly looking for ways to reach their audiences. One of those ways that has increased in popularity over time is social media. However, little is known about how to best create content that connects to the audiences through these platforms. The current exploratory study utilizes quantitative content analysis to understand how three regional newspapers in the United States utilized Instagram for content distribution. Regional newspapers were selected to have non-elite levels of funding and staffing. Findings demonstrate three approaches to the platform from each of the outlets studied in terms of topic, visual approach, multimedia utilized, and more. The user responses to the content are also discussed.