What’s on and who’s Watching? Combining People-Meter Data and Subtitle Data to Explore Television Exposure to Political News

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12409353
AutoresSusan Vermeer (0000-0002-9829-8057, Wageningen University & Research, autor correspondente), Damian Trilling (0000-0002-2586-0352, Vrije Universiteit), Sjoerd B Stolwijk (0000-0003-1421-2445, University of Amsterdam), Sjoerd Stolwijk (University of Amsterdam), Sanne Kruikemeier (0000-0002-8053-8200, Wageningen University & Research), Claes De Vreese (University of Amsterdam)
Ano2024
Volume42
Fascículo3
Páginas405-431
Data de publicação2024-10-11
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPolitical Communication (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1058-4609 • E-ISSN: 1091-7675
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10584609.2024.2409405
OpenAlexW4403337024
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas52

Understanding television viewing behavior is highly relevant, as it remains an important source of political news for many. Nowadays, viewers can choose between a growing diversity of formats covering political news, varying from traditional news broadcasts to late-night talk shows and satire. Yet, we have little to no information about the specific political content provided by television programs; and much less how this can be connected to viewing behavior and audience characteristics (political interest, ideology). Moving forward, using unique Dutch audience-meter data (3,672 viewers from 1,761 different households) from July 2017 to July 2018, we explore who is exposed to which (political) topic in what type of television program. We use automated content analysis to analyze the subtitles of television programs (N = 21,480). Our results indicate that situational factors, such as lead-in and lead-out effects affect news exposure. We also found that political interest does not only shape the volume but also the composition of audiences’ political information diets. Results show that higher political interest was associated with television audiences receiving a greater proportion of their news from public affairs and opinion programs. There does not appear to be any difference in patterns for political ideology; similar proportions of each type of program make up the information diets for both left and right viewers

Advertising · Business · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Subtitle · Telecommunications · Computer Science · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics