Abstract
On digital platforms, users can express public opinions in relation to the content of major organizations, e.g. public service broadcasters. Although media criticism has been a subject of scholarly interest, research has not primarily regarded communicative aspects of media criticism, despite such criticism potentially changing the premises for e.g. social media news reporting as a discursive practice. Building on a concept of communicative acts, this study investigates news media criticism in comments on a Facebook news post by Swedish public service broadcaster SVT on electricity housekeeping. Eleven news media critical arguments were identified according to two research questions – 1) what is the object of the criticism; 2) what is the communicative purpose of it? – resulting in seven groups of arguments. Focusing on both single instances of argument groups and combinations of groups within individual comments, the study emphasizes the communicative dynamics of news media criticism in altering between objects and purposes. Even though the result is heterogenous, some tendencies arise. Unlike constructive criticism, meant to change news reporting by media’s own standards, a majority of the most common argument groups consist of those who express strategic criticism, seemingly aiming to change media perceptions among a general news audience. Since this criticism regularly also addresses politics, the study further stresses the possibility of viewing media criticism as extended into e.g. political criticism.
Published Version
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