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Are Newspapers’ Online Discussion Boards Democratic Tools or Conspiracy Theories’ Engines? A Case Study on an Eastern European “Media War”
Slavtcheva-Petkova, Vera
Slavtcheva-Petkova, Vera
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2015-10-23
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Abstract
This article analyzes quantitatively and qualitatively 1,583 comments by national newspapers’ online readers in Bulgaria. It investigates readers’ reactions to articles discussing the media war between the biggest press groups—one owned by a Member of Parliament known as “the Murdoch of the East.” The study explores how these stories influence the relationship between newspapers and their readers, and whether they enhance the democratic potential of online discussion. The results show a higher level of reader engagement than in established democracies or nondemocracies. The online space provides an arena for democratic conversations and it is also used as an engine for conspiracy theories.
Citation
Slavtcheva-Petkova, V. (2015). Are Newspapers’ Online Discussion Boards Democratic Tools or Conspiracy Theories’ Engines? A Case Study on an Eastern European “Media War”. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 93(4), 1115-1134. DOI: 1077699015610880
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Journal
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
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DOI
10.1177/1077699015610880
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Article
Language
en
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ISSN
1077-6990
EISSN
2161-430X