Social networks in the relationship (and communication) between television and viewers - a case study of The Voice and the voice of Portugal programs

Abstract

The digital media and the communication mediated by computers have raised new questions on the nature and the activity of audiences. This paper focus on the so called social (digital) media, especially the social network site Facebook and the microblog Twitter. The present case report intends to evaluate TV viewers’ participation through social media in two programs: NBC’s The Voice and A Voz de Portugal, by the Portuguese RTP. The model (structure) of program, created in the Netherlands, is known as the most interactive in world’s television. This state has caught the researcher’s attention and curiosity in order to study how occurs the communication between viewers and media, and the participation in the program.

In the analisys centre are questions like: which is the viewers role; is the use of online social networks promote and improve participation; if the viewers are active in social media sites; when and how much posts – comments, shares, likes, tweets, retwitts – are published in programs pages; what is the frequency of activity registered in these pages; if there is a relation between the aired shows and the activity in these pages. The study is guided by Jürgen Habermas theories and point of view, therefore the communication between viewers and the program they watch is questioned: in fact, is there participation?