Abstract:
This study delves into the evolution of the television reality show, TV3 Date Rush,
investigating the factors that impact audience interaction and the changing nature of
interactivity within the context of a TV reality show. With the rise of social media, fans
of popular entertainment programs continue to engage with shows through new and
diverse platforms, as part of an increasingly interactive economy. In 2020, TV3 Date
Rush pushed the boundaries of this participatory culture by leveraging new forms of
media such as Twitter to foster multi-platform consumption by the show's fans. This
qualitative research examines audience engagement in live reality events to gain insight
into the various aspects of engagement and their relationship to current understandings
of interactivity. The methodology used for this study was qualitative content analysis
and online observation, which involved the analysis of Twitter posts made by audience,
whiles online observation actively observed and analyzed the behavior, interactions,
and activities of individuals of TV3 Date rush on Twitter. The theories underpinning
this research was the fourth-place theory, Ekman’s Theory of Basic Emotion and
Empirical evidence of sentiments and sentiments analysis on social media. The findings
suggest that viewers have a greater ability to participate in the production process and
hold implications for the future of reality TV experiences.
Key Words: Inter/active & Interactivity, Audience, Reality TV Show, TV3 Date
Rush, Social Media
Description:
A Dissertation in the Department of Development Communication, School of
Communication and Media Studies, Faculty of Foreign Languages Education
and Communication, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Development Communication)
in the University of Education, Winneba.
JUNE, 2023
