Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.22572/mi.28.1.1
The Potential of Quality Television Examplified by the TV Series The Paper
Vesna Karuza Podgorelec
orcid.org/0000-0003-2881-4666
; doktorandica na poslijediplomskom interdisciplinarnom sveučilišnom studiju Komunikologija, Sveučilište J. J. Strossmayera u Osijeku
Abstract
Within narrative persuasion theory, audience research seeks to establish which factors, derived from certain elements of a fictional story, strengthen the potential influence of that story on beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours (its ‘persuasive potential’). Quality TV political series are becoming an increasingly important co-creator of political culture. Therefore, we intended to examine the persuasive potential of this type of TV series within the narrative persuasion theory. The research aimed to analyse the prominence and correlation of five persuasive factors that have not been observed together in TV series persuasion research yet. These factors are perceived realism, identification, emotional involvement, story evaluation, and interest (less researched thus far). We conducted a quantitative survey based on snowball sampling in Croatia. The stimulus was the TV series The Paper. Out of 522 respondents, 309 respondents watched The Paper and participated in the main study of persuasive factors. For additional study, we asked other participants about their reasons for not watching the series. The results of the main
study suggest the prominence of all persuasive factors as well as strong and moderate positive correlations between them. They thus point to the highly pronounced persuasive potential of Quality TV political series. The research expanded earlier insights on the prominence and correlations of the interest factor and positive evaluation factor. Interest and evaluation are exceptionally mutually positively correlated and deeply affective. Furthermore, the results suggest that the viewers’ interest and positive evaluation of the story are closely and positively correlated to other persuasive elements. Regarding correlations of the factors with the story’s perceived realism, the correlations with external realism are weaker than those with internal realism. Therefore, the series’ narrative strategies and inner strength will be somewhat more important for their empowerment than recognising the factual similarity with the outside world. Less than half of the respondents watched The Paper weekly on linear TV, which suggests that linear TV ratings do not reflect the total reception of The Paper in Croatia.
Keywords
narative persuasion; political series; Quality TV; audience research; The Paper
Hrčak ID:
277671
URI
Publication date:
10.5.2022.
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