1. HUNTER COLLEGE, CUNY
Television and audiences
Fall 2011
A
Digital Journal
By
Belay W/mariam
Jersey Shore, Reality TV, and Audience Engagement.

2.  Audience Engagement on Reality
TV.
• I think, we all agree that Television is in a period of dramatic change. As
the mass audience continues to fragment into ever-smaller niche
audiences and different communities of interest, and new technologies
shift control over the television viewing experience from network
programmers into the hands of media consumers, television's traditional
business models prove themselves increasingly untenable.
• The single most important concept in this new industrial discourse is that
of “engagement", a term that has generated a tremendous amount of
debate and disagreement, with television and advertising executives, as
well as brought several interesting discussions in this media class. Thus I
like to understand what engagement is, how it works, and what its
practical consequences on TV Shows will be, by focusing on Reality TV and
using The Jersey Show as a case study. Audience Engagement has been key
to the success of television for decades. However, there have been issues
in the past few years due to stories of broadcasters have found it difficult
to maintain the relationship with their audience. This I believe brings back
an old problem with new context.

3. To sum up my idea: one of the main argument and claim made by many media
industry insiders, scholars, journalists, and participants is that the main reason for
the success of Reality TV is it’s participatory and engaging future of the shows. My
final research project will review this main argument about Reality TV as a
participatory Medium and investigates evidence in the following three key areas: 1.
Modes of Engagement; 2. Engagement Platform; 3. Engagement Measurement.
The method: I will use Jersey Shore as a case study and I will pose as one of the
Jersey Shore fans and remain engaged until the end of the semester. Please, note
that my findings will be constantly updated and documented at our class Blog site,
www.digitalbydesien.wordpress.com, as Digital Journal Format

4.  Modes of communications such as the phone and letters became outdated
and even at that time had their limitations in terms of how programe makers
could respond to viewers and how quickly. In an attempt to update these
models, television executives are attempting to shed television's long-standing
reputation as a passive medium, which emphasized the viewer's role as a
consumer of television content, but the current Multi medium TV viewing as
an active, convenient, and more quality programming.
• Based on my literary review, the current discourse on engagement suggests
that television's future now relies on the industry's success recasting it as an
active medium, capable of capturing and holding the audience's attention,
and effective at generating emotional and financial investment. For example,
The Jersey Shore Show:

5. The Jersey Shore Show: Jersey Shore is a reality television series that premiered
on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of
eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore. Season 2 followed
the cast escaping the cold northeast winter to Miami Beach, with Season 3
returning to the Jersey Shore. The fourth season, filmed in Italy, premiered on
August 4, 2011. MTV confirmed in June 2011 that Season 5 will return to Seaside
Heights.
The show debuted amid large amounts of controversy regarding the use of the
words "Guido/Guidette," portrayals of Italian Americans stereotypes, and scrutiny
from locals because the cast members were not residents of the area.
Dubbed a cultural phenomenon, the series has garnered record ratings for MTV,
making it the network's most viewed series telecast ever. The series' cast has also
been credited with introducing unique lexicon and phrases into American Popular
Culture, much like Seinfeld was in the 1990's, it has even been dubbed the
Seinfeld of the 2010's, and the University of Chicago has announced an
academic conference that will examine the show. In 2010, the cast of Jersey
Shore was named on Barbara Walters’ 10 Most fascinating People list. The series
has since exported to dozens of countries worldwide.

7. 1. Modes of Engagement on Reality
TV:
• “Casting Shirley Partridge: The Reality TV Audience as Talent
Scout”
• Posted by Mary Beth Haralovich / University of Arizona on
November 5th, 2004 9 Comments Printer-Friendly
• Reality television is developing a new force on the creative side of
television production as the TV audience joins television executives
in the creation of entertainment programming. Bridges between
entertainment and audience have always been fundamental to
show business, and reality TV is taking audience participation to
new heights.
• Reality TV has already broken down the distance between audience
and performer. Reality TV players (”player” here taken to mean
both game player and stage performer) are different from movie
and TV stars. The reality TV player is familiar, more ordinary than
extraordinary.

8. Instant celebrity: Reality television has the potential to turn
its participants into national Celebrities, at least for a short
period. Many shows such as Survivor, Big Brother, and
Jersy Shore have made at least temporary celebrities out of
their participants; some participants have then been able to
parlay this fame into media or other careers.

10. Here, it is important to note that there has been some creatisism
againt Reality TV has been made, such as, "Reality" as misnomer.
Some also suggested that the realty shows take place in unreal
environments.
Reality casting can generate critique of social categories and
assumptions and players ask the audience to recognize the types
that they embody and to disengage preconceptions about
stereotypes.

11. The Cast
• Angelina Pivarnick
• Season1 and 2 from Staten Island, New York, Polish-Italian American Pivarnick is a New York City bartender. She starts out
the season with a serious relationship at home, but the two break up in episode 3, which indirectly leads to her eviction
from the shore house after refusing to work her shift in the T-shirt shop.
• Pivarnik again departed the house during Season 2, after violent confrontations with Mike and Nicole. She did not return for
Season 3. She calls herself the "Kim Kardasian of Staten Island," but is mocked by other cast members as the "Staten Island
dump" or the "Rob Kardashian of Staten Island.

12. Deena Nicole Catese,
Season 3-present New Egypt, New Jersey, Italian American
Cortese, a longtime friend of Polizzi, had originally auditioned for
season 1 and been rejected. She eventually joins the cast starting
in season 3. She describes herself as a "blast

13. Jennifer Farley
"JWoww" Franklin Square, New York Irish-Spanish American Farley is a
graphic designer and club promoter from Franklin Square, New York.
During the casting process, she states, "I thought the guys would be
enormous and really mean, and I thought the girls would be catty and
overdone." She enters the shore house with a steady relationship at
home but cheats on her boyfriend with castmate DelVecchio and ends
her relationship in season 3 episode 4 for different reasons. Farley has
had breast augmentation surgery, which she got as a birthday present to
herself just before turning 21.

14. Michael Sorrentino
"The Situation" Staten Islad, New York Italian American Sorrentino, an
assistant manager of a fitness center in Saten Island, develops an attraction
towards Giancola, which does not come into fruition when she becomes
interested in fellow castmate Ortiz-Magro. Sorrentino worked as an exotic
dancer in 2004. In the 2010 season of Dancing with the Stars, he partnered
with Karina Smirnoff, but was eliminated in week

15. Nicole Polizzi
"Snooki" Marlboro, New York Chilean (adopted by Italian family) and is an
aspiring veterinarian technician. She applied to an ad on Facebook that
said "Calling all guidos and guidettes," which Polizzi said, "was definitely
about my lifestyle." Polizzi earned the nickname "Snooki" in middle school
after being the first of her friends to "make out" with a boy. She became
the center of controversy when a man punched her in her face during a
bar confrontation. Polizzi was arrested by Seaside police on July 30, 2010
on public intoxication charges, which were later dropped. She previously
suffered from an eating disorder in high school.

16. Paul DelVecchio
"Pauly D" Johnston, Rhode Island Italian American DelVecchio is a disc
jockey from outside of Providence. He strikes up a brief romance with
fellow castmate Farley but the relationship does not progress. DelVecchio
was nominated for the 2010 "America's Best DJ" competition.
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro
From Bronx, New York Puerto Rican-Italian American Ortiz-Magro is from.
He strikes up a relationship with castmate Giancola.
Sammi Giancola
"Sweetheart" Hazlet, New Jersey Italian American Giancola is from and is
recently single at the start of the series. She attended William Paterson
Univercity and was a midfielder on the women's soccer team. Giancola
ultimately strikes up a relationship with fellow castmate Ortiz-Magro in
season 1 episode 3.

17. Vinny Guadagnino
Staten Island, New York Sicilian American 21-year-old. Guadagnino comes from
a traditional Italian American family in Staten Island A graduate of the Paltz who
had plans to attendlow school if acting did not work out. Guadagnino applied
after a friend sent him an application asking for "the orangest, most muscley,
spiky-haired people", which Guadagnino filled out "as a joke." Describing first
meeting his castmates, he says, "I see Pauly and his spiky hair and his whole
guido look. Great, they found the most stereotypical kid. Then Snooki seems like
a train wreck. But you realize we're all starting this crazy new adventure."
Guadagnino is an advocate for disenfranchised communities including LGBT
teens and homeless animals. He has appeared in a PSA for the It gets Better
Project and has rescued and found homes for many animals in his local
community. Guadagnino guest stars in The Hard Times of RJ Berger in episode,
"Cousin Vinny" on March 28, 2011.

18. Controversy of Jersey Shore
MTV received criticism from Italian American organizations for the way in which
they marketed the show, as it liberally used the word Guido to describe the cast
members. The term 'guido' is generally regarded as an ethnic slur when referring
to Italians and Italian Americans. One promotion stated that the show was to
follow, "eight of the hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos," while yet another
advertisement stated, "[the show] exposes one of the tri-state area's most
misunderstood species... the GUIDO. Yes, they really do exist! Our Guidos and
Guidettes will move into the ultimate beach house rental and indulge in
everything the Seaside Heights, New Jersey scene has to offer." Cast members
Snooki and Jwow are not ethnically Italian. Snooki is Chilean, but was adopted as
an infant by Italian American parents. Jwow is Irish and Spanish.

19. Prior to the series debut, UNICO NATIONAL formally requested that MTV cancel the
show. In a letter to the network, UNICO called the show a "...direct, deliberate and
disgraceful attack on Italian Americans..." UNICO National President Andre DiMino said
in a statement "MTV has festooned the 'bordello-like' house set with Italian flags and
green, white and red maps of New Jersey while every other cutaway shot is of Italian
signs and symbols. They are blatantly as well as subliminally bashing Italian-Americans
with every technique possible..." Around this time, other Italian-American
organizations joined the fight, including the NIAF the Order Sons of Italy and the
internet watch-dog Italian Aware.
MTV responded to the controversy by issuing a press release which stated in part, "the
Italian-American cast takes pride in their ethnicity. We understand that this show is not
intended for every audience and depicts just one aspect of youth culture." Since the
calls for the show's removal, several sponsors have requested that their ads not be
aired during the show. These sponsors include Dell, Domino's and American Family
Insurance.

20. Episodes EEp # First Last
Season
airdate airdate
Decemb
January
Seson1 9 er 3,
21, 2010
2009
S Seson July 29, October
13
1 2010 21, 2010
S Season January March
13
3 6, 2011 24, 2011
SSeason August 4, October
12
4 2011 20, 2011
S Season
TBA
5

22. SSeason August October
12
4 4, 2011 20, 2011

23. Blogore , “Sanjay “Social Media & TV – A Match Made in Heaven” ( July 22,
2011 )
“The social networks have been a god-send to the TV networks and producers.
Despite what you might think, about old media being over-shadowed by ‘new
media’, the new is actually helping the old out. Twitter and Facebook have been
instrumental in providing television programmes with new ways of
building relationships with viewers. Providing real time feedback not only when
a programme is on-air but all day everyday, tapping in
the communication addictions within us all.”

24. Modes if Audience Engagment This paper seeks to recontextualise key
findings from recent studies of reality TV audiences in light of insights drawn
from across the wider field. It suggests that modes of engagement and
response adopted by different reality TV audiences appear broadly consistent
with those identified in relation to a wide variety of genres viewed in diverse
national contexts, as charted
in the Composite Multi-dimensional Model of audience reception (Michelle
2007).

25. “ This thesis argues that television's future as an engagement medium relies
not on inventing new methodologies that define engagement in terms of
quantifiable audience behaviors and attitudes, but instead in a new
conceptual model of television, better suited to a multi platform media
environment and the emerging attention and experience economies, which
focuses on the development of television programs that extend beyond the
television set.
Such a model must understand television not as a method for aggregrating
audiences that can be sold to advertisers, but as a medium that draws upon
media platforms, content, products, activities and social spaces to provide
audiences with a range of opportunities to engage with television content.
Accordingly, this thesis offers a framework for thinking about viewer
engagement as the range of opportunities and activities that become possible
when drawing upon an expanded, multi-platform conception of the modern
television text. Applying this framework to the innovative and experimental
textual extensions developed around ABC's Lost, the thesis indicates both the
challenges and opportunities that emerge as television becomes an
engagement medium.” (Gloto Co-Founder and CEO Eric Con)

27.  2. Engagement Platform:
Maximizing Audience Engagement
on The Jersey Show:
• How to engage customers with content
through social media, websites, smartphones,
and tablets, whenever or wherever it is aired
Stations can boost their audience engagement
and even sponsorship revenues with the
Twitter.

28. Mobile, Social Integral to TV Audience Engagement - Adrants
Audiences are watching TV, streaming video on the web and doing mobile
“check-ins” on the go. How can you be sure your message is impacting the
right audience on the right platform in the right place at the right time?

29. Twitter is over capacity .
Twitter is over capacity.

30. Please wait a moment and
try again. For more
information, check out
Twitter Status »

32. The Jersey Shore Faceebook.

33. Jersey Shore fan club
Jersey Shore Fansite
Jersey Shore fanfiction Drama/Romance
Jersey Shore Quiz …
Jersey Shore Game

34. Findings:
Evaluate the role of advertising.
Limited promotion displayed on mobile and
web.

35. 3. Additional Engagement Metrics:
Measuring Audience Engagement.
• Depending on how your company or brand is
engaging in social media, there may be other
metrics that should be factored into audience
engagement. The additional metrics will likely
come from the various social media channels
that are outside of the ones listed above.
These could include Diggs, Stumble Upon
likes, LinkedIn group activity or followers,
social bookmarks,…

36. Measuring Audience Engagement in Social Media
Nathan Linnell, June 28, 2010 0 Comments
Engaging with an audience is at the core of any company or brand's objectives for taking
part in social media, even if it's not one of the ultimate goals of their social media
program. The ultimate goal may be sales, sign-ups, increased customer satisfaction, or
any number of other goals, but audience engagement will always play a crucial role in
attaining those goals.
Audience engagement is likely at the core of every good social media program, so
understanding how to measure it is essential. Because there aren't any standards or
widely accepted calculations for audience engagement, or for that matter most social
media metrics, there ends up being differing definitions, depending on who you ask.
The metrics listed below are by no means an exhaustive list, because the type of social
media program that's being run will likely factor into what metrics are used for the
audience engagement calculation. For example, if YouTube isn't part of the social media
campaign, then YouTube engagement metrics isn't going to be applicable.
Each of the metrics below can also be used in other calculations to get even greater
insights, but for the purpose of this column, I'll stick to using them as part of a total
audience engagement metric.

37. Twitter Retweets
Simply looking at the volume of tweets your company or brand puts out is
fairly meaningless because you generally want to engage your audience and
not broadcast to them. Because of that, looking at the number of retweets
will begin to shed light on the relevancy of your tweets in the eyes of your
audience and allow you to understand what gets your audience engaging with
your company or brand.
Twitter @Tweets
Beyond just showing that they enjoy and get value out of your company or
brand's tweets, an @tweet is a prime example of an audience member who
has the desire to directly engage with your company or brand. This is truly
where an engagement can lead to developing or enhancing a relationship.

38. YouTube Video Interactions
This is a metric that is a rollup of video comments, favorites, and ratings.
Similar to Facebook interactions, YouTube video interactions measure how
well your company or brand's videos move viewers beyond watching a
video to then engage with it.
YouTube Channel Interactions
As the name indicates, a YouTube channel interaction is a similar metric to
video interactions, except it relates to your company or brand channel as a
whole instead of videos. This is again a rollup metric that includes channel
comments and channel favorites. This metric gives excellent insights into
understanding if viewers are moving beyond engaging with just an
individual video to instead making a more personal connection by engaging
more at the company or

39. Social Media Brand Mentions
There are a lot of engagement opportunities that can take place outside the
leading social media channels. Measuring these is also important to
understanding the overall level of audience engagement that's taking place
around your company or brand.
An example would be tracking the number of engagements that take place in
Reality TV Shoes, such as The Jersey Show.