Publication

Abstract : New technologies, especially the Web 2.0 has shifted the old paradigm of one way Communication to a two way interactive communication by allowing the users to participate. The new model rightly termed as the “Produsage” by Bruns (2007) has a significant consequence on the users, the media and of-course the society creating a democratic landscape. The aim of the study is to explore the User Generated Content and its effects on the content of the online news sites. Based on Jurgen Habermas (1984) theory of communicative action this paper strives to study, using a content analysis of 5 popular mainstream news websites the readers’ comments to journalistic articles. The comments of the homes page of the news paper and the most commented stories are taken as samples and analysed for - R1 – Does User Generated Content (Comments) broaden mass media agenda by raising new issues of public concern R2 Does UGC enrich mass media content by providing additional information on reported news R3 Do users utilize the space provided by the mass media to express their opinions on issues of public interest.