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This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journalism Studies on 04 Aug 2015, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2015.1046995 ; This article examines the impact of social media on Czech news media content. The study relies on a content analysis of a six-month sample of news articles collected in 2013 and focuses on social networking sites (SNSs), namely Facebook and Twitter, in their capacity as acknowledged sources in the agenda of traditional news media in the Czech Republic. The results include information on the differences between tabloid and quality press, the topics and actors that are likely to be associated with social media in their capacity as sources, the links between social media sources and the geographical focus of the news, and the type of social media content that the news media are inclined to use. The main features of the utilization of SNSs as news sources in the Czech Republic can be characterized by low intensity, a preference for domestic affairs, and a bias toward tabloidization. In several examined categories, we found evidence of consistently disparate uses of Facebook and Twitter that caution against generalizations about the role of social media in journalism and signal the requirement for a more nuanced approach to individual platforms. The article concludes that Czech news media do not fully exploit the democratic potential of SNSs and favor elite sources.

Closed access. This is a chapter from the book, Democracy and Media in Central and Eastern Europe 25 Years On. ; This chapter contributes to the debate about the impact of social media on the changing patterns of news production. Applying content analysis to a six-month sample of news articles from 2013, this empirical study explores the influence of information on social networks, especially Facebook and Twitter, on the agenda of the main Czech news media outlets (both print and electronic). The chapter addresses following questions: Which topics get covered using social media as news sources? What purpose do the quotes from social networks serve within the overall logic of news stories? Do references to social media reflect their role as sources or their appeal as a topic in its own right? The analysis aims to find out if there are differences between tabloid and quality press in the references to social media content. Finally, the study strives to assess whether the reliance on social media in newsgathering changes the established practices of gatekeeping and opens up new possibilities for actors and civic groups often denied access to traditional mainstream media.