News for connection, status and belonging: Exploring the social currency of local news

Abstract

This paper explores the perception of social currency as a distinct value within local news consumption among audiences. Social currency refers to the value individuals derive from engaging with and sharing news content within their social networks, allowing them to connect, express identity and signal awareness. Drawing on a large-scale mixed-methods study of local news audiences in Australia (survey: n = 7919; interviews and focus groups: n = 84), this study operationalised key dimensions of social currency using factor analysis. The findings confirm that social currency is a separate and measurable construct, distinct from traditional news motivations. It is significantly higher among younger people, men, urban residents and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, reflecting how news consumption intersects with social interaction, identity expression and symbolic practices of everyday life.