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Media habits attract growing attention in communication research. Therefore, valid measures of habit strength are needed. The response-frequency measure of media habit (RFMMH) provides an implicit approach. It does not rely on retrospective self-reports of the habitual character of a behavior. Participants are presented with vignettes referring to various goal situations and choose under time pressure script-based which media device they would use in the respective situation. Choosing the same device across the different goal situations indicates strong general habits. The present paper refines the RFMMH by testing different time pressure levels in a heterogeneous sample to identify the ideal amount of time pressure.

Uncivil and impolite user comments diminish the quality of deliberative discussions in the comment sections of news sites. This study investigates how users engage against such comments. Replying, disliking, and flagging are distinguished as different options of user engagement that vary in their functionality for discussion sections. To investigate the effects of incivility and impoliteness on user engagement, we conducted a 2 (civil vs. uncivil user comment) x 2 (polite vs. impolite user comment) online experiment. Results show that users engaged against impolite comments that attacked Muslims by flagging or by writing a reply against the language style or a reply against the expressed opinion. Incivility did not influence user engagement. The effects are moderated by Islamophobic attitudes. The results give detailed insights into readers’ behavior in discussion threads and have consequences for professional moderation.

In den sozialen Medien können NutzerInnen, die keine institutionalisierte Ausbildung über die Bedeutung der Meinungsfreiheit und ihre Grenzen erhalten haben, von anderen NutzerInnen produzierte Medieninhalte sanktionieren. Diese Sanktionen ergänzen die Regulierung durch Plattformanbieter und die rechtsstaatliche Regulierung. Damit eröffnet sich ein neues Forschungsfeld über die Potenziale und Herausforderungen des Sanktionsbedarfs von Medieninhalten aus Sicht von NutzerInnen. In einer standardisierten Befragung von 265 Facebook-Usern wird untersucht, welche Merkmale und Einstellungen beeinflussen, ob NutzerInnen einen Facebook-Inhalt negativ sanktionieren würden oder Sanktionen vom Plattformbetreiber oder vom Staat erwarten. Es zeigen sich teilweise Parallelen zur den Forschungsergebnissen, die in Studien zu traditionellen Medien gewonnen wurden: Die Einschätzung der Medienbotschaft als gefährlich, geringere Facebook-Nutzung und ein niedrigeres Bildungsniveau gehen mit einer hohen Einschätzung des Sanktionsbedarfs aus Sicht der NutzerInnen einher. Andere Faktoren (Alter, Geschlecht, politische Orientierung, Religiosität und vermutete Wirkung des Facebook- Inhalts) haben dagegen keine oder nur indirekte Effekte.

The article outlines arguments for the relevance of people’s attitudes towards freedom of expression: It is a fundamental principle of democracy that if a virtue does not receive support from the population, it will not be anchored in law and its foundation is endangered in the medium term. People’s support for free speech is becoming even more influential because authoritative control of internet communication is faced with difficulties. Furthermore, with the development of social media users gain new opportunities to publicly express their opinions attaching even more importance to normative self-regulation. As a matter of fact, these increased opportunities of self-regulation may either enhance or decrease the exercise of expression rights. Thus, citizen’s endorsement of free expression is a valuable indicator of the status of freedom of expression in a country. To approach to the subject empirically, the paper systematizes findings on people’s attitudes towards free speech: Most people believe in freedom of expression in the abstract. Willingness to apply the right to opposing groups, however, is lower. Perceived threats, confidence in democratic principles, mode of communication, and personality variables influence tolerance of expressions. Finally, a research agenda is put forward to examine appreciation of free expression, its antecedence, and implications.