Do news access pathways moderate filter bubbles? Evidence from a longitudinal analysis of data donations

Abstract

News access pathways shape the informational diversity of users’ news repertoires, with distributed modes such as search and social media generally providing broader exposure than direct navigation. Yet whether these differences produce filter bubble dynamics—gradual narrowing of diversity over time—remains underevaluated. We provide a direct test using donated browsing histories from n = 179 users in the Netherlands spanning approximately 1 year, combining mixed-effects models with a within-between decomposition and a content-level diversity measure capturing semantic differences between consumed articles. Within-person estimates confirm that distributed pathways enhance both outlet and topic diversity relative to direct access. For outlet diversity, search and social media show moderate convergence effects, with their diversity contributions partially eroding over sustained use; topic diversity trajectories show no pathway moderation. The within-between decomposition further reveals that aggregate pathway–diversity associations can mask opposing selection dynamics, underscoring the need for temporally granular, within-person designs when evaluating filter bubble claims.