Different user-types and their motives to be active on the user-driven news-platform NUjij.

The aim of this case-study is to give insights into how different user-types of user-driven news platforms are motivated. Consequently, information about motives for different user-types on user-driven news platforms could be used to increase participation with and production of user-created content. It is argued that an increase of user participation and production of user-created content is positive for both professional journalists as users. An online questionnaire was answered by 393 users of NUjij, a Dutch user-driven news platform. The concepts of the four user-types, six themes of motives and four anti-motives were based on literature. The questionnaire is based on the assumptions of the uses and gratifications theory that users are able to identify their own activities as well as their motives. Qualitative data and quantitative data were combined and compared to suggestions made by literature and to test hypotheses. It can be concluded that different user-types are motivated by different aspects of user-driven news platforms. Most importantly, on the one hand, lurkers and sporadics and voters are motivated by the cognitive aspects, and on the other hand, socializers and debators are motivated by value- and self-expressive aspects.