Reddit in the Bay Area: How Two Journalism Organizations Use Reddit

The current research examines two similarly situated journalism organizations, The San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Gate, to compare how they are utilizing the social network Reddit. Through the lens of post-publication gatekeeping theory, findings demonstrate that the Chronicle's approach is more effective in terms of generating higher karma scores and more comments despite posting less frequently. One of the biggest differences was that SFGate tended to post more soft news, which was less well-received. Other variables were examined to understand how the audience responded to the content regardless of which publication posted it. By highlighting the relationship between content type, audience engagement, and platform features, this study offers key takeaways for journalism organizations seeking to optimize their Reddit strategies. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.