Tracking digital audiences in the disrupted public sphere. The journey of Czech audiences from television to social media

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of the audience of traditional television journalism. While the form of television political debates does not change much, their audience has become significantly different. Beside television audiences, there is a growing number of digital viewers. This audience analysis of Czech TV digital viewers confirms that not only have their numbers increased during the recent years but sociodemographic characteristics are also completely different from those of the television viewers. The study shows that digital viewers consume the content of political debates on other platforms. Social networks (including those used by the television itself) frame the viewer’s expectations before watching the debate. The study thus draws attention to the fact that the degree of coherence between different audience groups needs to be examined in detail in the context of the growing diversity of digital audiences.