Abstract

A content analysis of 353 local television station websites found 49.6% of stations are including user-generated content (UGC), mostly designed to capture eyeballs, rather than to engage citizens in the journalistic process. The user-generated material included video (50.9%), audio (14.3%), still photos (82.3%), and other content (13.7%) including blogs, event announcements, news tips, and viewer comments. The overwhelming majority (76%) of UGC focused on weather-related events with only 17.7% classified as breaking news. Editorial guidelines focused on legalities such as terms of use and privacy policies related to accepting content, not editorial standards. Gatekeeping theory was applied to find that the local press largely retains its traditional editorial function.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.