I do research in the realm of political communication and journalism. In particular, I am interested in the question how the changing media landscape change political communication and journalism, how citizens, politicians, and journalists make use of new tools and what the impact of these changes is.
I am also interested in methodological innovations to study communication in an age where more and more communication is happening digitally. This includes methods of automated content analysis and so-called big-data approaches – although I prefer to refer to them as computational social scicence.
My research is embedded in the programme group Political Communication and Journalism at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research. I am also part of the research group Personalised Communication: Understanding the use and effects of personalised media and their implications for law and policy.
For my dissertation, which I defended in 2013, I studied patterns of media use in the Netherlands and in Austria. To this end, I investigated by means of survey research how people combine different online and offline media outlets in their news diets. You can download a summary (PDF, in Dutch) or the whole book (permalink to PDFs). The results have also been published in academic journals (see below).
Current research lines
Online news use
I research who is exposed to which types of news online. This includes the use of tracking data, collected for instance through browser plugins on computers or with browser history files collected on mobile phones. Also, I am interested in the use and effects of news recommender systems. For more information, look at the projects of my PhD students Susan Vermeer and Felicia Loecherbach, or at the Personalised Communication project.
News sharing and information diffusion
I am interested in the question which news is shared and goes viral, and which news is not shared. Also, I am interested in the question which information is taken over either literally or approximately by which media. This includes the identification of follow-up news coverage, the analysis of which news events are covered where, or the question in how far press releases are taken over by media.
Innovations in automated content analysis
I have worked on and are interested in the development of new methods for content analysis. This includes work on transforming traditional approaches to (manual) content analysis into automated approaches. An example is our work on the automated detection of bias and stereotypes in (journalistic) texts.
Journal articles and book chapters
Forthcoming
2018
Günther, E., Trilling, D., & Van de Velde, R.N. (2018). But how do we store it? (Big) data architecture in the social-scientific research process. In: Stuetzer, C.M., Welker, M., & Egger, M. (eds.): Computational Social Science in the Age of Big Data. Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 161–187). Cologne, Germany: Herbert von Halem.
Strycharz, J., Strauss, N., & Trilling, D. (2018). The role of media coverage in explaining stock market fluctuations: Insights for strategic financial communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(1), 67–85. doi:10.1080/1553118X.2017.1378220
Thurman, N., Moeller, J., Helberger, N., & Trilling, D. (2018). My Friends, Editors, Algorithms, and I. Digital Journalism, online first. doi:10.1080/21670811.2018.1493936
Trilling, D. (2018). Big Data, Analysis of. In: Matthes, J. (ed.), International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781118901731.iecrm0014 [PDF reprint]
Trilling, D., & Boumans, J. (2018) Automatische inhoudsanalyse van Nederlandstalige data. Een overzicht en onderzoeksagenda. Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap, 46(1), 5-24.
Trilling, D., & Jonkman, J. G. F. (2018). Scaling up content analysis. Communication Methods and Measures, online first. doi:10.1080/19312458.2018.1447655
2017
Boukes, M., & Trilling, D. (2017) Political relevance in the eye of the beholder: Determining the substantiveness of TV shows and political debates with Twitter data. First Monday, 22(4). doi:10.5210/fm.v22i14.7031
Burggraaff, C. & Trilling (2017). Through a different gate: An automated content analysis of how online news and print news differ. Journalism, online first. doi:10.1177/1464884917716699 [HTML] [PDF]
Dobber, T., Trilling, D., Helberger, N, & De Vreese, C.H. (2017). Two crates of beer and 40 pizzas: The adoption of innovative political behavioural targeting techniques. Internet Policy Review, 4(3). doi:10.14763/2017.4.777 [HTML]
Trilling, D., Tolochko, P., & Burscher, B. (2017). From newsworthiness to shareworthiness: How to predict news sharing based on article characteristics. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 94(1), 38-60. doi:10.1177/1077699016654682
Trilling, D., van Klingeren, M., & Tsfati, Y. (2017). Selective exposure, political polarization, and possible mediators: Evidence from the Netherlands. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 29(2), 189–213. doi:10.1093/ijpor/edw003 [HTML] [PDF]
2016
Boumans, J.W., & Trilling, D. (2016). Taking stock of the toolkit: An overview of relevant automated content analysis approaches and techniques for digital journalism scholars. Digital Journalism, 4(1), 8–23. doi:10.1080/21670811.2015.1096598
Jonkman, J. G. F., Trilling, D., Verhoeven, P., & Vliegenthart, R. (2016). More or less diverse: An assessment of the effect of attention to media salient company types on media agenda diversity in Dutch news paper coverage between 2007 and 2013. Journalism. doi:10.1177/1464884916680371
Moura Medeiros, D. M., Bastian, M., & Trilling, D. (2016). Talking with and about politicians on Twitter: An analysis of tweets containing @-mentions of candidates in the Brazilian presidential elections. Revista Latinoamericana de Opinión Pública, 6, 89-115.
Moeller, J., Trilling, D., Helberger, N., Irion, K., & De Vreese, C. (2016). Shrinking core? Exploring the differential agenda setting power of traditional and personalized news media. Info, 18(6), 26-41. doi: 10.1108/info-05-2016-0020 [PDF]
Trilling, D., Bos, L., Janse van Rensburg, L., De Groot, M. (2016). Hufterigheid en democratisch debat in online comments op verschillende platforms [Incivility and democratic debate in online comments on different platforms]. Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap [Journal for Communication Research], 44, 210-230.
Zuiderveen Borgesius, F. J., Trilling, D., Möller, J., Bodó, B., de Vreese, C. H., & Helberger, N. (2016). Should we worry about filter bubbles ? Internet Policy Review, 5(1). doi:10.14763/2016.1.401 [Full text]
2015
Trilling, D. (2015) Two different debates? Investigating the relationship between a political debate on TV and simultaneous comments on Twitter. Social Science Computer Review, 33(3), 259–276. doi:10.1177/0894439314537886.
Trilling D., & Schoenbach, K. (2015). Challenging selective exposure: Do online news users choose sites that match their interests and preferences? Digital Journalism, 3(2), 140–157. doi:10.1080/21670811.2014.899749
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2015). Investigating people’s news diets: How online news users use offline news. Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research, 40(1), 67–91. doi:10.1515/commun-2014-0028
2014
Trilling, D. (2014). Grenzen der Selektivität: Kann der Selective-exposure-Ansatz komplementäre und komplexe Nutzungsmuster erklären? In Kleinen-von Königslöw, K., & Förster, K. (ed). Medienwandel und Medienkomplementarität aus Rezeptions- und Wirkunsperspektive (pp. 77–92). Baden-Baden: Nomos. [permalink]
Trilling, D. (2014). Weg vom manuellen Speichern: Automatisierte Datenerhebung bei Onlinemedien. In Sommer, K., Wettstein, M., Wirth, W., & Matthes, J. (eds.) Automatisierung in der Inhaltsanalyse. (pp 73–89). Cologne: Herbert von Halem. [permalink]
2013
Bakker, T.P., Trilling, D., Helfer, L. (2013). The context of content. The impact of source and setting on the credibility of news. Recherches en Communication, 40. 151–168. [preprint]
Bastian, M. & Trilling, D. (2013). An unfulfilled promise: Twitter and the dictatorial past in Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Políticas de Comunicação, 4, 51-68. http://www.rbpc.lapcom.unb.br/index.php/revista/article/download/49/40
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2013). Skipping current affairs: The non-users of online and offline news. European Journal of Communication, 28(1), 35-51. doi:10.1177/0267323112453671
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2013). Patterns of news consumption in Austria: How fragmented are they? International Journal of Communication, 7, 929–953. [PDF]
PhD Thesis
Trilling, D. (2013). Following the news. Patterns of online and offline news consumption. PhD thesis, University of Amsterdam. [permalink]
Conference presentations
2017
Möller, J. E., & Trilling, D. C. (2017). Simulating who sees what: Dismantling the babooshka doll of layers of diversity in news recommender systems. International Communication Association (ICA), San Diego, United States.
Möller, J. E., Trilling, D. C., Helberger, N., & van Es, B. (2017). Do news recommenders foster filter bubbles? An empirical assessment of multiple recommender systems and their impact on content diversity. International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2), Cologne, Germany.
Strycharz, J., Strauß, N., & Trilling, D. C. (2017). Media coverage and share price volatility: Is it only attention that matters? International Communication Association (ICA), San Diego, United States.
Trilling, D. C., & Jonkman, J. G. F. (2017). Scaling up content analysis. International Communication Association (ICA), San Diego, United States.
Trilling, D. C., van de Velde, R. N., & Günther, E. (2017). But how do we store it? (Big) Data architecture in the social-scientific research process. International Communication Association (ICA), San Diego, United States.
Boumans, J. W., & Trilling, D. (2017, February). Tracing patches: Introducing a semi-automated approach to analyze journalists’ processing of source material. Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Dobber, T., de Vreese, C. H., Helberger, N., & Trilling, D. (2017, February). Data as a crystal ball: Predicting votes and targeting voters. Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Jonkman, J. G. F., Trilling, D., Vliegenthart, R., & Verhoeven, P. (2017, February). Intrinsically newsworthy? How corporate characteristics affect corporate visibility and tone in news about large firms. Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Lee, H., Trilling, D., & Fransen, M. L. (2017, February). Using content analysis to measure resistance towards persuasion. Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Möller, J. E., & Trilling, D. (2017, February). Algorithmic news recommendation: Assessing different dimensions of content diversity. Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Strycharz, N., Strauß, N., & Trilling, D. (2017, February). Media coverage and share price volatility: Is it only attention that matters? Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Trilling, D. C., Möller, J. E., Helberger, N. & de Vreese, C. H. (2017, February). From one-size-fits-all to tailor-made distribution channels: New divides? Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
Trilling, D. (2017, February). So you’re not using some program but you’re teaching them how to program? Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Tilburg, Netherlands.
2016
Boumans, J.W. & Trilling, D. (2016). ANP makes the News World go Round: The impact of the news agency on the agenda and content of print and online news. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Amsterdam.
Boumans, J. W., Trilling, D. C., Vliegenthart, R., & Boomgaarden, H. (2016). The agency makes the (online) news world go round: The impact of news agency content on print and online news. Poster presented at GESIS Computational Social Science Winter Symposium, Cologne, Germany.
Burggraaff, C., & Trilling, D. C. (2016). Not only through a different gate: An automated content analysis of how the content of online news and print news differs. Abstract from NEFCA Workshop “Wanted. Dead or Alive. Journalists, journalis and their audiences in a changing media landscape”, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Jonkman, J.G.F., Trilling, D.C. & Verhoeven, P. (2016). More or less diverse: An assessment of the effect of attention to media salient company types on media agenda diversity in Dutch newspaper coverage between 2007 and 2013. Poster presented at the Annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Fukuoka, Japan.
Möller, J. E., Trilling, D. C., Helberger, N., & de Vreese, C. H. (2016). From one-size-fits-all to tailor-made distribution channels: New divides. ECREA 6th European Communication Conference, Prague, Czech Republic.
Möller, J.E., Trilling, D.C., Helberger, N. & Vreese, C.H. de (2016). The shrinking core? Exploring the differences between traditional and personalised news media. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Amsterdam.
Möller, J. E., Trilling, D., Helberger, N., & de Vreese, C. H. (2016). Shrinking core? Exploring the differential agenda setting power of traditional and personalized news media. EUROCPR, Brussels, Belgium.
Trilling, D. C. (2016). Conceptualizing and Measuring News Exposure as Network of Users and News Items. 18th Annual Conference of the Methods Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Trilling, D. C. (2016). Conceptualizing and measuring news exposure as network of users and news items. Poster session presented at GESIS Computational Social Science Winter Symposium, Cologne, Germany.
Trilling, D. C. (2016). Media diets in an age of apps and social media: Dealing with a third layer of repertoire elements. ECREA 6th European Communication Conference, Prague, Czech Republic.
Trilling, D.C. & Boukes, M. (2016). Political relevance in the eye of the beholder: Determining talk show focus with Twitter data. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Amsterdam.
Trilling, D.C., Jonkman, A., Kroon, A.C., Meer, G.L.A. van der & Verhoeven, P. (2016). Between online and offline agenda building: The interplay between agendas of organizations, media, and public. Poster presented at the Annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Fukuoka, Japan.
Verhoeven, P., Trilling, D. C., Jonkman, J. G. F., Kroon, A. C., van der Meer, G. L. A., & Boumans, J. W. (2016). Elite companies in the news. Visibility and tone about the ten biggest corporations in The Netherlands in 2014. ECREA 6th European Communication Conference, Prague, Czech Republic.
2015
Trilling. D. (2015). From word frequencies to topic modeling: Applying automated content analysis techniques to short social media messages. Invited lecture at the pre-symposium workshop “Studying the Use of Twitter in Political Communication” at the GESIS Computational Social Science Winter Symposium, Cologone, Germany.
Trilling, D. & Jonkman, J. (2015, December). Packing and unpacking the Bag of Words: Introducing a toolkit for inductive automated frame analysis. Poster presented at the GESIS Computational Social Science Winter Symposium, Cologone, Germany.
Zuiderveen Borgesius, F. J., Trilling, D., Möller, J., Bodó, B., De Vreese, C. H., & Helberger, N. (2015, October). Should we worry about filter bubbles? An interdisciplinary inquiry into self- and pre-selected personalised communication. Paper presented at Amsterdam Privacy Conference.
Trilling, D., Van Klingeren, M,, & Tsfati, Y. (2015, August). Political polarization in times of new media: The mediators of selective exposure. Paper presented at the ECPR conference, Montreal, Canada.
Jonkman, J.G.F., Trilling, D., Verhoeven, P., & Vliegenthart, R. (2015, June). Topical variation in company news: An assessment of the diversity of topics in Dutch newspaper coverage of media prominent corporations. Paper presented at BledCom, Bled, Slovenia.
Medeiros, D., Bastian, M., & Trilling, D. (2015, June). Talking with and about politicians on Twitter: An analysis of tweets containing @-mentions of candidates in the Brazilian presidential elections. Paper presented at the World Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentinia.
Trilling, D. & Jonkman, J. (2015, June). Packing and unpacking the Bag of Words: Introducing a toolkit for inductive automated frame analysis. Paper presented at the World Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentinia.
Trilling, D., Tolochko, P., & Burscher, B. (2015, June). Viral news: How to predict news sharing based on article characteristics. Paper presented at the World Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentinia.
Möller, J.E. & Trilling, D. (2015, May). News alerts, apps, websites, and social media: the differential effects of modes on attitude changes. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Trilling, D., Van Klingeren, M,, & Tsfati, Y. (2015, May). Perceived opinion climate mediates the effect of selective exposure on political polarization: Experimental evidence from the Netherlands. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
De Groot, M., Janse van Rensburg, L., Bos, L., & Trilling, D. (2015, February). Online news and comments: Characteristics and relationships. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Antwerpen.
Hofhuis, J., Schafraad, P., Van Odijk, R., & Trilling, D. (2015, February). Verschuivende trends in motieven voor cultureel diversiteitsbeleid in jaarverslagen van Nederlandse top 100 werkgevers 1998–2013. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Antwerpen.
Jonkman, J, Trilling, D., Vliegenthart, R., & Verhoeven, P. (2015, February). Frame variation explained: An assessment of the diversity of frames in Dutch newspaper coverage of highly media-visible corporations. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Antwerpen.
Möller, J., & Trilling, D. (2015, February). News alerts, apps, websites, and social media: The differential effects of modes on attitude changes. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Antwerpen.
2014
Trilling, D., Van Klingeren, M., & Tsfati, Y. (2014, November). The mediated effect of selective exposure on political polarization. Paper presented at the European Communications Conference (ECREA), Lisboa, Portugal.
Trilling, D. (2014, September) Two different debates? Investigating the relationship between a political debate on TV and simultaneous comments on Twitter. Paper presented at the World Association for Public Opinion Research Conference, Nice, France.
Trilling, D., Bakker, T.P., Helfer, L. (2014, Feburary). Da könnte ja jeder kommen! Zur Messung der wahrgenommenen Glaubwürdigkeit von Social Media-Quellen im journalistischen Kontext. Paper presented at the DGPuK-Fachgruppentagung Journalismusforschung, Münster.
2013
Trilling, M., & Trilling, D. (2013, June). An unfulfilled promise. Twitter and the dictatorial past in Brazil. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, London.
De Vries, R., Bakker, T., Trilling, D., & Bakker, P.: De mythe van direct marketing: een onderzoek naar de effectiviteit van interactiviteit en personalisatie in e-mailmarketing. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Rotterdam.
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K.: Diversity of online journalism? Between fragmentation and more of the same. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Rotterdam.
Schulze, H., & Trilling, D. (2013, February). Of binders and bayonets: Measuring the adoption of frames from the US Presidential Debates on Twitter. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Rotterdam.
Trilling, D. (2013, January). Grenzen der Selektivität: Kann der Selective-exposure-Ansatz komplementäre und komplexe Nutzungsmuster erklären? Paper presented at the DGPuK-Fachgruppentagung Rezeptions- und Wirkungsforschung, Vienna, Austria.
Trilling, D. (2012, September): Weg vom manuellen Speichern: Automatisierte Datenerhebung bei Onlinemedien. Paper presented at the DGPuK-Fachgruppentagung Methoden, Zurich, Zwitserland.
2012
Hellmueller, L.C., Trilling, D. (2012, June) The credibility of credibility measures: A meta-analysis of credibility research in communication journals, 1951 to 2011. Paper presented at the World Association of Public Opinion Research Conference, Hongkong. [permalink]
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2012, June) How content fragmentation can increase audience fragmentation: Do people really expose themselves only to content they like? Paper presented at the World Association of Public Opinion Research Conference, Hongkong.
Trilling, D., Bakker, T.P., & Schoenbach, K. (2012, February). Using and talking about the news makes you smarter: The central role of political talk in the relationship between news consumption and political knowledge. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Leuven, Belgium.
Stavenuiter, R., Trilling, D., Bakker, T.P. (2012, February). The same old song? Reviewing factors that predict credibility of offline and online media. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Leuven, Belgium.
2011
Trilling, D., Bakker, T.P., & Schoenbach, K. (2011, September) Informative and mobilizing media: How print, television and online news affect political knowledge and participation. Paper presented at the World Association of Public Opinion Research Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Bakker, T.P., Trilling, D., Helfer, L., Schoenbach, K., & De Vreese, C.H. (2011, September) The context of content: The impact of source and setting on the credibility of news. Paper presented at the World Association of Public Opinion Research Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2011, May) Is the Internet about to take over? How using online news is related to offline news consumption patterns. Paper presented at the International Communication Association Conference, Boston, MA.
Bakker, T.P., Trilling, D., Helfer, L., Schoenbach, K., & De Vreese, C.H. (2011, January) The context of content: The impact of source and setting on the credibility of news. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Enschede, Netherlands.
Trilling, D., & Bakker, T.P. (2011, January) How right is Cass Sunstein? An empirical assessment of cyberbalkanization, echo chambers and information cocoons. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Enschede, Netherlands.
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2011, January) Is the Internet about to take over? How using online news is related to offline news consumption patterns. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Enschede, Netherlands.
2010
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2010, October). Avoiding current-affairs information in a new media environment: Results of a large-scale representative survey. Paper presented at the European Communications Conference (ECREA), Hamburg, Germany.
Trilling, D., & Schoenbach, K. (2010, August). Keeping up with current affairs: New(s) sources and their users. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communivcation, Denver, CO.
Trilling, D., Schoenbach, K., & Lauf, E. (2010, February). Is the Internet dangerous for democracy? The use of current-affairs information in a changing media environment. Paper presented at the Etmaal van de Communicatiewetenschap, Gent, Belgium.
Master thesis
Trilling, D. (2009) Neue Zeitungen für neue Leser. Profile, Konzepte, Programme der niederländischen Zeitungen nrc.next, De Pers und DAG. Unpublished master thesis, University of Münster, Germany.
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