Abstract
Journalism has gradually become ‘normalized into social media’, and most journalists use social media platforms to publish their work (Bruns, 2018). YouTube is an influential social media platform, reaching over a billion users worldwide. Its extensive reach attracts professional and amateur video producers who turn to YouTube to inform, entertain and engage global publics. Focusing on YouTube, this study explores the place for journalism within this media ecology. This study uses a mixed-method approach to examine forms of audience engagement to YouTube videos about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), or so called “superbugs”, caused by overuse and misuse of antibiotics. The analysis focuses on the most viewed YouTube videos about AMR between 2016 and 2018, and compares engagement themes expressed in comments to journalistic videos with popular science videos. The most viewed videos about AMR on YouTube are professionally produced educational popular science videos. The qualitative analysis of 3,049 comments identifies seven main forms of high-level engagement, including expressions of emotions, blame and calls for action. This study shows that journalism plays an important role on YouTube by generating audience discussions about social and political accountability. Our findings demonstrate that journalism videos were associated with propositions for political, economic and social/lifestyle actions, while popular science videos were associated with medicines, scientific or pseudo-scientific, and medical practice changes.
Highlights
IntroductionThe Place for Journalism in the Current Media Ecology
The Place for Journalism in the Current Media EcologyJournalism has gradually become normalized into social media, and journalists and media companies actively publish and promote their material on social media platforms (Bruns, 2018)
The focus is on journalism on YouTube, examining how journalistic content engages audiences around important societal issues by comparing journalism videos with popular science videos on YouTube
Summary
The Place for Journalism in the Current Media Ecology. Journalism has gradually become normalized into social media, and journalists and media companies actively publish and promote their material on social media platforms (Bruns, 2018). Journalists are active on both Facebook and Twitter, and their journalistic content, such as news and current affairs programs, is frequently published on YouTube. The aim of this study is to explore the place for journalism within this media ecology. The focus is on journalism on YouTube, examining how journalistic content engages audiences around important societal issues by comparing journalism videos with popular science videos on YouTube. The economic strain coupled with an uncertain digital media landscape has turned media’s focus on audience behaviour and preferences to inform
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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
