Regioninės interneto žiniasklaidos priemonių įtaka bendruomenės aktyvumui: Kauno atvejis ; Impact of Regional Online Media on Local Community Activism: The Case of Kaunas

Abstract

Technological diffusion and innovations are among the most important developments of contemporary reality that affect media businesses to a great extent. News production process is becoming faster and information is more accessible to audiences. It challenges media companies to react to changing conditions fast, to adapt to them, to deliver news as fast as possible and in various innovative formats, integrating text, visuals and audiovisuals. Studies done all over the world also show that communication and information technologies provide a better access to global information mostly produced by international news agencies. This way more and more international news appear in national media, the same information is spread all over the world making our news agendas more similar (homogeneous). However, other studies show that the proximity is still the most important news value factor for national and local audiences. Attractiveness and importance of local news is mainly determined by local cultural, social, political and other traditions and conditions. Local media, also in new interactive forms (as online news portals or social media channels) preserves its leading role in the cities and regions because it provides news that are substantial to local communities. The main aim of this study is to assess the impact and role of regional online media in Kaunas on the activism and engagement of local communities in public sphere. The basis of analysis is a qualitative focus group study and series of qualitative semi-structured interviews with journalists, editors and media experts that were conducted in 22 March, 2013. Study discloses that in the case of local issues and matters citizens of Kaunas tend to rely more on regional media. In some particular cases they do engage in online commenting, respond to questions raised by journalists. However, the main reason for making their own input to online content is the desire for publicity and recognition. Another discovery that comes from the qualitative study is that social media channels are also gaining popularity and recognition; they are becoming more trusted among local audiences in Kaunas. Nevertheless, relatively high number of various local online portals in Kaunas competing with strong national leading online media over the audience shares makes the situation in regional market vulnerable.