From interaction possibilities to real engagement: Paradoxes of media participation and the case of Banda Ampla, from the public Catalan television TV3

Abstract

The concept of citizens’ participation in everyday life has strong roots in the ancient Greek culture, commonly accepted as the birth of the occidental civilization. Especially from the 4th century BC to the 5th AD, assemblies and public opinion courts were part of this democratic ecosystem, where citizens could express their views on current topics. Inspired by the typical starting expression of such reunions – ‘Who would like to talk?’ (Sinclair, 1999) – this article tries to contribute to the general topic of public intervention in the media scope. In this sense, what kind of motivations led citizens to participate and interact with media institutions? What kind of troubling issues have been drawn by the scientific literature in this regard? Do real opportunities for participation differ from real audience participation? Thus, in an empirical framework, we analysed the overall social and mental representations of one sample of individuals who have participated in Banda Ampla, a public opinion programme broadcast in Barcelona, Spain. This article questioned participants about their personal motivations to participate as well as other generic thoughts on media and participation. Conclusions suggest an important paradox: participants somehow tend to neglect digital possibilities to interact with media, although the majority argue that it is essential for democracy that citizens have their say on current topics within society