The document discusses the democratic implications of news consumption among youth, utilizing longitudinal research with Portuguese participants to examine their experiences and perspectives on civic and political participation. It emphasizes the importance of including young people's voices in media research and presents various typologies related to news consumption and engagement. The findings highlight the influence of different media on youth culture and their understanding of social issues, advocating for improved methodological approaches in research on journalism and audiences.

1. Democratic implications of news:
what can we learn from the use
of different methodological
approaches with young people?
Maria José Brites (Media and Journalism Research Centre, Portuguese national
Foundation for Science and Technology and Lusophone University of Porto)
britesmariajose@gmail.com
Cristina Ponte (Faculty of Human and Social Sciences/New University of Lisbon)
ponte.cristina1@gmail.com
Isabel Menezes (University of Porto)
imenezes@fpce.up.pt
ECREA 2012 Istanbul, 24-27 October
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2. Argument
Methodological design can be
improved with longitudinal process
and if research participants
have more voice.
Accurate the construction
of typologies (journalism and
participation).
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3. Journalism and audiences
Journalism has been much more
considered from the point of view
of production and contents, rather
than from the point of view of news
audiences (Bird, 2011).
Buckingham recognizes the difficulty
in researching journalism
and youngsters (2006: 18).
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4. Longitudinal process
Longitudinal research is more
powerful with the same sample
Kitzinger (2004: 177).
This participatory research activity
(Higgins et al, 2007) has the
advantage of including young people’s
vision of important aspects
of the research.
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5. Methodological reflections
Phase 1: began in 2010 with the first interviews conducted with 35
Portuguese youngsters with diverse experiences of, broadly defined,
civic and political participation. The second interviews occurred
around five months later (2011) and involved 30 of the initial
interviewees.
Phase 2: in September-November 2011, the same participants were
invited to participate in focus-groups discussions; we manage to
constitute three different groups from the initial sample (n=15).
(School Parliament Program, youth political parties, graffiti, school
newspapers and assembly in a low income area, among others)
How does the methodological options influence the typologies?
PhD research on youth, participation and journalism in Portugal
supported by the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology
– FCT (SFRH/BD/47530/2008)
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6. Typologies
News consumption
Political news
Participation
Democratic representation
of journalism
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7. Typologies
1 – Consumption and prevention/risk.
“I watch news with my mother and my brother. We comment on that,
my mother talks about dangers.[...] A few days ago, we spoke
about swimming pool dangers. She said: ‘Don't jump like that’. My
mother alerts me and my brother.” (Girl, 15, low income area
assembly, 1st Interview)
2 – Relevance of television and journalism.
“... television is the basis of my family life.”
(Girl, 16, School Parliament Program, 3rd Focus Group)
3 – Versatile news consumers and shared concerns.
4 – Internet and the need of social change.
“[I share on the web] Issues such as LGBT, racism, discrimination,
contemporary issues such as Egypt, Tunisia, economical issues.”
(Girl, Political Party/NGO on Racism, 2nd interview)
5 – Personal interests: preferences rather than fight for causes.
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8. Typologies
1 – Consumption and prevention/risk.
Traditional news media (traditional FG and Participatory FG)
Media literacy/television
2 – Television and journalism relevance.
Democratic role of journalism (Interviews and FG)
Target group for traditional news media.
4 – Internet and the need of social change.
Way of life
Target for new news media (Two interviews).
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9. Final considerations
Youth cultures: construction by
the self and by the colective.
Typologies (media literacy; news
consumption).
Using different media (also
traditional)
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10. References
Bird, S. E. (2011). Seeking the Audience for News:
Response, news talk, and everyday practices. Virginia
Nightingale. The handbook of media audiences.
Chichester, Blackwell Publishing.
Buckingham, David (2006 [2000]). The Making of
Citizens: Young People, News and Politics. Londres e
Nova Iorque, Taylor & Francis e-Library.
Higgins, J., Nairn, K. and Sligo, J. (2007). Peer
research with youth: negotiating (sub)cultural capital,
place and participation in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Participatory Action Research, Approaches and
Methods: Connecting people, participation and place.
Sara Kindon. London and New York, Routledge.
Kitzinger, Jenny (2004). Audience and Readership
Research. The SAGE handbook of media studies.
Downing, John D. Thousand Oaks, London and New
Delhi, SAGE.
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11. Thank you!
Maria José Brites | britesmariajose@gmail.com
Cristina Ponte |ponte.cristina1@gmail.com
Isabel Menezes | imenezes@fpce.up.pt
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