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Rethinking audiences and interactivity in a digital age: Belgian university students and the consumption of TV series on the Internet

par Wiard, Victor
Référence ICSC2014 (34-04/04/2014: Maltepe, Istanbul, Turkey)
Publication Non publié, 2014-04-04

Communication à un colloque

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Résumé :

Because of new possibilities of media consumption in a digital age, the re-theorisation of online audiences is essential. However, research focusing on the reception of cultural content on the Internet has been mainly focused on “fans” (Costello & Moore, 2007) with the risk of making these intensive users pass for the average consumer (Hermes, 1993; 2009). In the case of the consumption of TV series online, selection processes (finding a TV series you like, in the language that you want, in a particular format, etc.) make it possible to theorise this audience as participative and interactive, even if their practices are not always as spectacular as the most celebrated forms of interactivity (content discussion and production on social media and forums).This research focuses on students living in Brussels consuming fictional TV on the Internet, using illegal services to do so. Through a methodology combining online observation, an online survey (n=600+), structured media diaries (n=20) and in-depth interviews (n=20), this presentation aims to discuss the possibilities of reconceptualising audiences as well as the very definitions of interactivity and culture.Preliminary results of this study show a demanding audience not only in terms of which TV series they are willing to consume but also in terms of the language and subtitles of the content consumed and the flexibility to chose the time of consumption. Furthermore, we see small signs of participation and activity on social media. According to the data, we argue that the consumption of TV series on the Internet using illegal services can be regarded as an act of audience activity and interactivity leading to a revalorisation of television cultural products. Bibliography:Costello, V., & Moore, B. (2007). Cultural Outlaws: An Examination Of Audience Activity And Online Television Fandom.Television & New Media, 8(2), 124-143.Hermes, J. (1993). Media, meaning and everyday life. Cultural Studies, 7(3), 493-506.Hermes, J. (2009). Audience Studies 2.0. On the theory, politics and method of qualitative audience research. Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture, 1(1), 111-127.