User-Generated Content and Television News

Abstract

The purpose of this master's thesis is to investigate the relationship between television news stations and user-generated content. With the technological growth our society has experienced over the last several years, user-generated content has become a popular way for television stations to gather news. This relationship was investigated through a national online survey of news directors/executive producers at television stations. Also studied were policies at television stations regarding the use of user-generated content, whether they are formal, written policies, or informal policies, to determine how user-generated content is integrated into television news broadcasts. Findings suggest that television news stations exercise extreme caution when determining if they're going to use user-generated content, and those cautions are taken because of concerns about accuracy and credibility. The findings also suggest that user-generated content is most often used in the morning and evening hours of news broadcasts produced during the week, rather than on weekends. The information gathered in this research helps to better understanding about the perceptions of user-generated content, and how those perceptions shape policies regarding its use at television stations across the country.