In an emergency, journalists are on the front lines of communication as they relay breaking news to the public. Recently, news organizations promoted mobile and personal computer (desktop and laptop) applications that enable push notifications for breaking news alerts. In United States, over 60 % of adults use the Internet to watch videos (Olmstead, Mitchell, Holcomb & Vogt, 2014). Among them, 36% watch news videos (Olmstead et al., 2014). With diversification of news format, and despite their best intentions, viewers are still missing key visuals, such as push notifications and alerts (Cunningham, 2016). The current study uses Lang’s (2000) Limited Capacity Model of Mediated Motivated Message Processing (LC4MP) and Lavie and Tsal’s (1994) Load Theory of Attention to understand the complexities of emerging news delivery and exposure formats. This study employed a 3 (working memory load: control vs. low vs. high) x 2 (perceptual load: low vs. high) x 9 (video repetitions) x 6 (working memory load repetition) x 3 (video order) nested within-subject experimental design to investigate the effects of working memory load and perceptual load on visual attention and memory for news alerts. The study’s significance stems from comparing two competing theoretical frameworks – the LC4MP and LTA – to assess the effectiveness of a novel news delivery format. Findings are expected to help newsmakers and sociotechnical producers better assess the value and effectiveness of innovative news delivery forms.
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