Charlie Bit My Finger! What News Media Can Learn from YouTube?

The purpose of the research project is to achieve a more profound understanding of workings of YouTube as a community building media. The project analyzes how YouTube establishes communities, the contents that appear most attractive in terms of community formation and the operation of the relationship between the media and the user in the YouTube environment.

The project applies online ethnography to analyze everyday communication patterns in YouTube. The ethnographic material collected is further analyzed and discussed in the context of research conducted on news media. By analyzing differences and similarities in the communication patterns between YouTube and news media, the project aims to offer new knowledge about the use of communication media to establish communities and a sense of belonging in today’s media society.

The project is funded by Helsingin Sanomat Foundation.

Timetable 2010-2011.

Contact person at the University of Helsinki
Johanna Sumiala
Johanna.sumiala(at)helsinki.fi
tel. +358 9 191 23632

Minttu Tikka
minttu.mt.tikka(at)helsinki.fi
+358 9 191 24759