從「區位理論」探討網路電子報對台灣新聞媒體產業之影響—由閱聽人資源角度分析之

Abstract

網際網路逐漸普及下電子報的出現使閱聽人變得更加主動，也使得各媒體間的競爭態勢產生變化。本研究從新媒體發展易受到環境變動影響的角度下，採取組織生態學中的「區位(niche)理論」探討網路電子報與傳統的報紙、電視新聞三大新聞媒體族群在目前如何運用閱聽人資源以維持生存與發展。 本研究以Dimmick(1985)所發展的三個區位指標-區位寬度(niche breadth)、區位重疊度(niche overlap)以及區位優勢(niche superiority)來分析三族群所獲得的消費者的滿足感之差異，藉此判斷各族群之發展方向及族群間的競爭態勢。 在研究方法上，研究者採取問卷調查法，以同時使用三種新聞媒體之15歲以上人口為調查對象，於1998年7月間以非隨機配額抽樣方式進行，在各大電腦量販電尋找合適對象做調查，最後總計回收有效問卷407份，有效回收率為89.65%。 透過統計資料分析發現，閱聽人在使用這三種媒體上主要有六大滿足獲得因素，分別是「認知取向」、「情感取向」、「方便/互動取向」、「成本效益取向」、「反應真實取向」以及「共享性」資源。從「區位」的角度來看，這六個因素代表三種媒體所依賴的閱聽人資源區位面向。 以區位理論的三項指標來分析三媒體資源使用狀況發現，在區位寬度指標中，以網路電子報之區位寬度值最高，且三組群目前都處於「廣佈種(generalist)」狀態，報紙最為依賴「反應真實取向」資源，電視新聞媒體最為依賴「情感取向」資源。 而區位重疊度描述族群使用資源的重複程度，透過分析發現，在資源競爭上還是以兩大傳統新聞媒體之間的競爭最為激烈，兩族群產品對消費者來說傾向替代品。報紙與網路電子報之競爭程度居中，而電子報與電視新聞的在資源使用的重複程度上最弱，兩者對消費者來說比較傾向互補品。 結合區位重疊與區位優勢值可判定兩族群時何者佔有優勢，何者可能被淘汰。分析結果發現在新聞媒體整體發展上，報紙優於電視新聞。而網路電子報雖然佔有比較優勢，但由於資源使用上與傳統兩大媒體的重複程度不高，推估它是朝兩媒體倚賴使用較少的區位面向上發展，找尋一個合適的生存利基，因此在目前來說並未對傳統媒體形成強烈威脅。

Unlike media economists, organizational ecologists define market competition by the use of resources, so when two organizations are utilizing the same resources, they are competing against each other. According to organizational ecology, the impact from environments is much greater than that from the internal operation of an organization; thus, the factor which determines organizational survival is not the efficiency of its operation, but rather the appropriateness of an organization with its environment. The key to understanding the fitness of an organization with its environments is the niche theory. Niche is the resources utilizing pattern of an organization. Adopting the niche theory, this study analyzes the competition among the three news media- television news, electronic newspapers, and traditional newspapers- to understand how market competition influences the resource utilization patterns of the three media in Taiwan. According to Dimmick(1993), the three most important resources in media industries are media content, advertising income, and audience. By examining the uses of the three resources, researches will understand the competition advantages among the media. This study measures audience re reader perceptions about their need satisfaction provided by the three news media to analyze the competitive relationships among the media. A convenience sampling with 407 valid questionnaires was conducted to examine the level of perceived gratification provided by the three media. Data analysis shows that the strongest competition exists between traditional newspapers and television news, and that television news and electronic news are more complementary than competing with each other. More findings are discussed in the paper.