Propagation of online news: Dynamic patterns

A large portion of online news articles and postings are not originally created but reprinted or re-posted from other online news sources or portals. In this paper, we analyze the dynamics of online news propagation, using a large collection of Chinese online news activity data. We characterize prominent features of online news diffusion and compare them against the spreading patterns of the epidemic. Several critical factors influencing the news propagation process are identified, including the centrality and selectivity of source portals, and event variability.