The emerging viewertariat in South Korea: The Seoul mayoral TV debate on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs

Abstract

Social networking sites (SNSs) represent Web 2.0 platforms or networking tools through which users can freely exchange ideas, opinions, experiences, and viewpoints and thus have considerable influence on the formation of political discourse. Despite the wide diffusion of SNSs and their increasing political influence, traditional media such as TV have retained their influence to a certain extent because new media and traditional media are not independent of each other. In particular, recent technological advances have made it possible for individuals to exchange their opinions through SNSs on a real-time basis while watching TV. As a result, the formation of political discourse may shift from the traditional mass media to social media, and viewer responses generated through social media may be transferred quickly to the mass media. Given this important trend, this study provides an empirical analysis of the pattern of interactions between TV and SNSs in the Korean context. More specifically, the study investigates the features and patterns of online messages from SNS users in Korea about TV debates during the Seoul mayoral by-election in 2011. By assuming some differences in features of political discourse across various types of SNSs, the study compares those features specifically associated with TV debates by considering Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. The results suggest that SNS users not only accept and interpret political discourse while watching TV but also participate actively in its production and restructuring. In addition, the results indicate some differences in communication patterns between the three SNS platforms.