Let Me Squeeze a Word In: Exemplification Effects, User Comments and Response to a News Story

Exemplification theory postulates that iconic, emotional, and arousing depictions are potent in impacting judgments and impression formation. Previous research has examined how exemplification processes manifest in user comments after news stories, and impact subsequent judgments. Less is known about the effectiveness of responding to user comments. Two studies were conducted to examine how exemplified accounts in user comments to a news story may influence audience perceptions and the effectiveness of responding to those comments by organizational actors. Respondents reported their perceptions of organizational reputation and other measures after viewing different manipulations of a news story. Findings are largely consistent with exemplification theory and highlight the ability of organizations to reduce those effects through responding to user-generated content.