Effects of Infotainment Features in Instagram News Stories on Knowledge: A Field Experiment

Instagram has become a relevant platform for news consumption. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how characteristics of Instagram news stories affect learning. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of typical Instagram infotainment features—interaction, dynamic elements, and narration—on knowledge about current affairs. Participants (n = 350) followed a manipulated Instagram account for a week and then completed a knowledge test. Overall, exposure to the Instagram stories had a positive effect on knowledge; participants in all experimental conditions had higher knowledge than participants in the control group. This differs from previous findings related to other social media news, for example on Facebook. However, the infotainment features did not affect tracked exposure to the news stories or learning from the news. Moreover, they did not lead to entertainment experiences, which questions underlying assumptions about infotainment.