digital participation in news media

‘minimalist’ views versus meaningful interaction

In this chapter I critically interrogate journalists’ perceptions of the audience, and examine how they view public participation in news processes. As mediators of the ‘public’, news media play an important role in modern-day democracies, enabling audiences to participate in public life.

This chapter challenges existing research that uncritically views interactive tools that enable audience participation as evidence of a democratisation of news media.