How Social Media Influence TV Newsrooms Online Engagement and Video Distribution

Abstract

This research takes a socio-technical approach and uses participant observation and in-depth interviews to explain how two major TV news organizations from Colombia utilize social media to distribute video and engage TV audiences in online settings. Findings show that social media, particularly Facebook, are changing how television channels think of videos and their perceptions of audience engagement at the organizational level. Social media not only play a dominant role for distributing video but they influence with their recommendations and metrics TV decisions regarding content production. Finally, this research discusses the implication of these findings for the future of TV journalism.