The Ephemeral Nature of Digital Journalism and Its Structural Impact on Public Attention

Abstract

The ephemerality of digital journalism has evolved into a systemic paradigm of temporal compression, becoming, under the co-construction of technology and the platform economy, a "meta-rule" of the information ecology. This paper defines ephemerality from the three dimensions of temporal density, mode of existence, and value logic, analyzing its technological generation and normalization mechanisms. By constructing a model of attentional structure, the research reveals its transformation from a "steady state" to a "liquid state." The core findings indicate that ephemerality systematically reshapes the configuration patterns and long-term effects of public attention by driving the fragmentation of attention, dissolving the cycle of deep engagement, and promoting cognitive superficiality and the fluidity of identity. This, in turn, elucidates the profound structural interrelationship between the two, providing a critical analytical framework for understanding the information ecology in the digital age.