Fábio RibeiroCommunication & Society Research Centre

University of Minho (Braga – Portugal)

The Publics in Reception:citizens’ participation in the media

MediaED LabTraining course

7-16 May 2012 | Riga, Bernati, Latvia

Citizens’ participation? Media?What are we talking about exactly?

Introduction

Some fields of study

Public opinion programmes in TV and radioOnline comment box in newspapers’ websiteLetter-to-the-editor

Getting to knowsome cases

Fórum TSF - TSF

Banda Ampla – TV3 [Spain]

Making the room, a publicopinion programme

Today’s topicIs important that people participate inmedia?How media should motivate them toengage?

Making the room, a publicopinion programme

3,2,1....On Air!

Theoretical approaches toparticipation

Your key words to define theconcept of ‘participation’

Theoretical approaches toparticipation

An adaption of the citizen: «a set of a determined group of roles given by thecontext and the requirements of a participative format hold by one mediainstitution» Espen Yterberg (2004: 678)

Connection with the digital: «new group of feedback opportunities, fosteredby the digital era» (2008: 106)

As a flow: «it represents not only an element of social organization, but alsoprocesses which dominate our economic, political and symbolical life»Castells (2005: 436)

A motivation output: «participation is a symbol of someone’s motivation todevelop its own inclusive concept of citizenship» Kiwan, (2007: 228)

Theoretical approaches toparticipation

Redistribution of power: «including citizens absent from the political andeconomical decision making processes, so that they can be considered infuture resolutions» (1969: 216).

A democratic behaviour: «one of the most intents to overcome thecontradictions between citizens’ civic engagement and political system such asdemocracy» Barbrook (cit. por Hamilton, 2003: 297)

A affair technique: media only ask for citizens’ contribution when theyabsolutely need it. Random strategy which gives audiences the supremeillusion of being part of civil and media society. Rosa Alfaro Moreno (2006)

Roots of participation

The public forums and debates inancient Greece: the archaeology ofcitizens’ engagement?

Since the Homeric period (XII – VIII b. C.), the kingused to organize an assembly to understand whatkind of opinions were mentioned by the citizens. Allthe subjects were related to the daily life in Athens.

Citizenship and participation?

Participating means a specific bounding to civilsociety? Or do people simple participate ontheir own? Are we steeping up a ladder frombeing passive to active?

Measuring media willingnessto let people talk

One critical about the role of media, who does not

open people to talk in their formats

Other one, who phrasingthe active role of media, asa source of citizens’speech

Measuring media willingnessto let people talk

Critical Cefai & Pasquier (2003):there is no such thing as astrong and engaged public;Todd Gitlin (2002): mediajust send in images on anendless spinning basis.

Supporting mediaMendes (2004): media are practicalinstitutions of our identity;Rosalia Winocur (2003): a growingrelationship, between media andcitizens and becoming moreinteresting as media often bring topublic space those questions raised bytheir audiences.

Participation a key to medialiteracy?

Participate as a way of expression, release tension, show(dis)agreement;

how are media motivate to participate? Just through social media?;

More than watch and learn: building a comfortable common space;

Participate means active control towards media/ watchdogjournalism; recent case in Spain, with SPORT newspaper.

Participation a key to medialiteracy?

Participation a key to medialiteracy?

Have your say: formats ofpublic expression in mediaof your countries

Spain

France

Greece

Italy

Latvia

Portugal

Czech Republic

RomaniaSlovenia

Bulgaria

Slovakia

Experiences contacting the audiences

Citizens’ participation media in television:the case of Banda Ampla

Getting to know Banda Ampla

Citizens’ participation media in television:the case of Banda Ampla

Interactive formats with audiences

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

How often do you watch TV?39 of 51 watch TV every day.

How often do you watch Banda Ampla?Nearly half of the inquiriees rarely watches: 20Low number of participants who watch everytime: 5

29 | 22

Gender Age

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

How often do you participate outside the studio?45 of 51 have never participated beforeJust 2 have participated: one once in a month, the other twice or more montly

Through which platform?Email and Banda Ampla’s Facebook page

Why?Both argued it is a fast and direct medium for interactwith the programme.

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

Obstacles towards public intervention in audience discussion programmes: What can explain an eventual lack of participants in these formats?

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

Obstacles towards public intervention in audience discussion programmes: What can explain an eventual lack of participants in these formats?

Note: [two alternative chosen]

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

Motivations towards participation live in studioWhat can explain the desire to participate of the public

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

Motivations towards participation live in studioWhat can explain the desire to participate of the public

Note: [two alternative chosen]

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

Do you participate in other similiar programmes?

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

Are public opinion programmes fundamentalso that television continues to be a relevantand important media? All of them have agreed.How come?

Getting to know social representationsand participative routines

Citizens’ participation in television: thecase of Banda Ampla

Could television be somehow different in the absence of these programmes?

Is it fundamental for the public and other media to keep counting with citizens’ participation in this scope?

Final remarks

Participation became a common genre in audiovisual and online media, due to:

New technologies of interaction

Participation is not that expensive when compared withsome other programs

Participation confirms the post-modernist thesisaccording to which people want to ‘make part of’ (‘tribaltime’ in Maffesoli’s expression)

However…

Participation without any concrete objective maydevelop risk of hollow and nonsense interventions

How to improve participation standards?

How to take advantages of participatory tools to reallyget people involved in public affairs?

Final remarks