As livestreaming has become more ubiquitous in recent years with its expansion over social media platforms, and as mainstream media outlets begin to take advantage of the medium, it is important to recognize that the technology has important roots in the hands of marginalized communities. Specifically, livestreaming has historically been an outlet used by activists in protest settings in order to counter the narratives of mainstream media. This paper seeks to evaluate the counternarrative potential of livestreaming by looking into footage from both the 2012 student protests in Montreal and the 2014 protests in Ferguson in direct comparison to traditional broadcast coverage from these events. Ultimately, I argue that while there are dangers that inherently accompany the use of livestreaming, it nonetheless has the potential to be a powerful and practical tool in the hands of protesters.

Att spela in sig själv och sända live på internetsidan Twitch.tv har ökat drastiskt i popularitet mellan 2012 och 2020. Med tiden har dock antalet aktiva sändare på Twitch.tv ökat mer än antalet tittare. Därmed har konkurrensen blivit kraftigare och vikten att marknadsföra sig och sticka ut visuellt likaså. Studien syftar till att undersöka vilka grafiska element från traditionell television som är relevanta och praktiskt applicerbara på en personlig livesändning på Twitch.tv. Vidare ska studien besvara hur dessa grafiska element upplevs på en personlig livesändning. I denna studie definieras grafiska element som visuella hjälpmedel i television och på livesändningar på Twitch.tv.  För att besvara frågeställningarna gjordes först en visuell analys av grafiska element på TV och populära teman på Twitch.tv. Utifrån resultatet från dessa skapades två teman som applicerades på innehåll typiskt för livestreaming på Twitch.tv. Videofilmer av dessa exempel testades genom en onlinebaserad enkätundersökning. Studiens slutsats är att resultaten tyder på att grafiska element från television som är relevanta och praktiskt applicerbara på en livesändning på Twitch.tv är introsekvens, bug, News ticker, lower third och eftertexter. Mottagarna upplever ett tema inspirerat från vanliga teman på Twitch.tv som lite mer givande och mindre störande än ett tema inspirerat från traditionell television. / To record oneself and broadcasting it live to the internet site Twitch.tv has increased in popularity dramatically between 2012 and 2020. Over time, however, the number of active broadcasters on Twitch.tv have increased more than the number of viewers. Competition has become more fierce as a result, and with it, the importance of branding and standing out visually has increased as well. This study aims to investigate which graphic elements from traditional television are relevant and practically applicable to a personal live broadcast on Twitch.tv. Furthermore, the study will answer how these graphic elements are perceived on a personal live broadcast. In this study, graphic elements are defined as visual aids in television and on live broadcasts on Twitch.tv. In order to answer the questions, a visual analysis of graphic elements from television and popular themes used on Twitch.tv was first made. Two themes were then put together based on those results and later applied to content typical for a live stream on Twitch.tv. Lastly, the resulting videos were tested with the help of an online survey. The study’s conclusion is that the results indicate that graphic elements from television that are relevant and practically applicable to a live broadcast on Twitch.tv are intro sequences, bugs, News tickers, lower thirds and credits. The recipients experience a theme inspired by common themes on Twitch.tv as a bit more rewarding and less disturbing than a theme inspired by traditional television.

A well-functioning media is a given part of any society, and can be a valuable tool in the democratising process of a country. The media is traditionally given the role of providing citizens with information about political events in society, and as a result enabling them to make informed decisions. Before the 1990s most of the Middle Eastern and North African media was controlled by governments and because of that they often failed in their responsibility as information providers. As new media such as the internet and satellite television were introduced to the region, the media paradigm shifted and a new arena for public debate arose and has continued to grow ever since. During the 2010-2011 uprisings in the region social media platforms were used by citizens to spread news about demonstrations and political moves, not only within countries, but also globally. Livestreaming applications in particular were used successfully, and videos filmed by citizen journalists were broadcast on international media channels This thesis focuses on the use of livestreaming by citizen journalists in Egypt and Syria to accomplish a social change, and on citizen journalism as an act of civic engagement. To provide an analytic frame, this thesis uses the work of Dahlgren (2009) and his six modes of civic engagement, to better and understand the role of citizen journalists in changing society. Through a number of qualitative interviews with citizen journalists, traditional journalists and Bambuser, this thesis concludes that citizen journalism did play and still plays an important role when it comes to civic engagement in Egypt and Syria although weather or not it might be able to take the role of traditional media in society remains to be seen. The interviews with citizen journalists were conducted in Cairo, Egypt and funded through a Minor Field Study grant.

Användningen och behovet av rekommendationssystem i digitala tjänster har växt i takt med att utbudet i dessa blivit allt större och svårare för användare att navigera i. Rekommendationssystem används idag i allt ifrån E-handel till musikoch filmstreaming. För att förse användare med rekommendationer på objekt används en mängd olika väl beprövade algoritmer, filtreringsmetoder och datainsamlingsmetoder. Att applicera dessa i livestreamingtjänster ställer nya krav på systemen eftersom innehållet byts ut mer frekvent, helt nytt innehåll tillkommer regelbundet och explicit data samt metadata är sällan tillräcklig för att ta fram träffsäkra rekommendationer. I en fallstudie med företaget Liveguide undersöks hur rekommendationssystem kan appliceras i livestreamingtjänster med avseende på de utmaningar och krav som finns. Metoder presenteras där aktuella lösningar testas, utvärderas och anpassas till att fungera bra i livestreamingsammanhang. Slutligen föreslås tre modeller för rekommendationssystem som tagits fram utifrån det resultat metoderna leder till. För att tillfredsställa de identifierade utmaningarna inom området visade sig hybrida, mångsidiga modeller fördelaktiga i livestreaming. / The usage and demand of recommender systems in digital services has increased in line with their huge range of products, making it more difficult for users to navigate through the content. Recommender systems are used in a wide scope of digital services ranging from E-commerce to music and film streaming. In order to provide users with recommendations on objects, a variety of algorithms, filtering methods and methods of data collections are being used. Applying these in live streaming services puts new demands on such systems since the content is replaced frequently and new objects added regularly. Furthermore, livestreaming services often lack explicit data and metadata, making recommendations less accurate. In a case study with Liveguide, recommender systems are evaluated, focusing on whether they are applicable to live streaming services, respecting requirements and demands on such systems. Methods are presented which tests, evaluates and adapts existing solutions to fit in well in context of live streaming. Finally, three models for recommender systems are suggested, based on the methods result. In order to satisfy the identified challenges, hybrid models turned out to be preferable in the context.

The boundary between offline and online worlds is rapidly shrinking with improvements in technology. Virtual Youtubers (VTubers) have emerged in recent years as a new Twitch streaming phenomenon. Replacing the use of webcams, VTubers obscure their true physical appearance and instead choose to represent themselves through a fictional character. This character is most often controlled through facial tracking, motion capture, and additional software tools. While previous livestreaming research has focused on why people watch others play video games, or what an audience wants from the streamer they watch, there is very little current research available on VTubers. Current studies are scattered, and do not attempt to deeply engage with VTubers on a personal level to explore their thoughts and motivations. In turn, this study aims to answer the following questions: 1) “How does livestreaming as a VTuber allow people to explore and/or express their identity?”; 2) “What makes VTubing unique when compared to standard facecam streaming?”. 10 different VTubers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, and their responses were analyzed by a framework centering Erving Goffman’s (1959) theory of self-presentation. Theories of online identity, imagined audience, online disinhibition, and parasocial interaction were also utilized to support the analysis. The results suggest that VTubing is a unique form of livestreaming which allows its users to overcome personal insecurities, explore different methods of self-presentation, and to affirm the identities of members of queer and ostracized communities.

As the strict lockdowns during the global COVID-19 pandemic made the world more digital, nearly every industry was affected. The music industry in particular had already been going through many changes, though maybe none of them as big so far—musicians were restricted from performing "in real life" and had to think out of the box. Thus, coming to life virtual concerts and festivals. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the transition to a digital live scene has been handled in the live music industry during the pandemic, and what the experiences of Generation Z and Millennials have been with specific video streaming platforms. To find the answers to these questions, a mixed-methods approach was taken, combining semi-structured qualitative interviews and an online questionnaire. The study provides an insight into what approaches music industry professionals took in handling different aspects of the changing world of concerts, both in terms of technical aspects and in the general shift that the music community experiences. Moreover, it provides an insight into users' preferences for streaming platforms, together with their respective advantages and flaws. More generally, a deeper understanding of what people perceive as gains and losses from the digitization of live events is also provided, with a look into the potential future of concerts.

This study explores the (hetero)sexualized online space that is the category “Pools, Hot Tubsand Beaches” on the streaming platform Twitch.tv. The aim of the study is to gain a further understanding of how gender and sexuality is performed under the specific conditions offered by the space. Interactions between livestreamer and chat in three livestreams have been transcribed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. I find that the space is characterized by the logic of the heterosexual matrix as defined by Judith Butler, as well by two foundational asymmetries that inform the way that gender and sexuality is performed in the spaces studied: the asymmetry of perspective and the asymmetry of performativity. These conditions are actively negotiated with by the subjects that interact in the space. Furthermore, relying on the work of Raewyn Connell, I find that the subjects conduct a labor of positionality with regards to notions of good and bad masculinity, basing their sense ofcommunity on the abjectification of “other men” in order to construct their own masculinity.

Live nu! is an essay in media and communication studies covering 15hp. The authors have, by interviewing five Swedish companies, looked at how Periscope as a livestreaming medium is viewed and used for marketing purposes, as well as how it has changed the media climate of today. This by analysing the interwievs in a theoretical context based on theories conserning user generated content and the concept of Webb 2.0 as well as theories on marketing and the creation of value for costumers. Henry Jenkins theory about convergence culture was also applied. Discourse analysis is the method used in the qualitative work that make the foundation of this essay. The material was analysed and categorised using tools such as nodal points, chains of equivalence and articulations. Theories on marketing, user generated content and Webb 2.0 were then used to make a deeper analysis of the content. The results of the study shows Periscope viewed by Swedish companies as a tool to create content on costumers terms. A type of content built on trustworthiness, transparency and, if used in the right way, interactivity. Periscope is seen as a way to achieve a more personal dialog with the target group and to strengthen the brand whilst giving costumers value outside of consumable products.

Denna studie undersöker olika faktorer som påverkar livestreaming ur mottagare-, sändare- samt teoretiskt perspektiv. För att därigenom skapa en ökad kunskap gällande dess användande och engagemang. Under processen har grundad teori använts som forskningsperspektiv och både kvalitativa intervjuer och fokusgrupper har genomförts. Resultatet visar att där är viktiga steg för att skapa engagemang. Medvetenhet, där mottagaren görs medveten om företaget via spridning. Intresse, där ett intresse skapas med hjälp av innehållet men där vaksamhet bör tas gällande Fear of Missing out respektive Video-On-Demand och dess inverkan på mottagaren. Interaktion och engagemang, där en dialog skapas med mottagaren och en gemenskap byggs upp där publiken är deltagande. Dessa steg leder till lojalitet och förespråkare som är villiga att sprida företaget och dess innehåll vidare. Slutsatsen konstaterar att dessa steg borde ses som en cirkel istället för en trappa. Vilket betyder att alla är lika viktiga delar i att skapa ett engagemang. De bygger även vidare på varandra och det sista steget är inte slutresultatet utan bör ses som en pågående process som leder oss tillbaka till första steget. / This study seeks to explore the motives behind livestreaming from a sender-, receiver- and theoretical perspective. With the aim to create a better understanding for receiver engagement and sender usage. During the process, grounded theory was used as research method and both qualitative interviews and focus groups were implied. The results show that there are important steps to create engagement. Aware, where you make the receiver know about you through coverage. Interest, where you create an interest with the content your making but also watch out for the impact Fear of Missing out and Video-On-Demand might have on the receiver. Interaction and engagement, where you create a dialogue with the receiver and build a community where the audience is participating. These steps lead to loyalty and advocates who are willing to spread you and your content further. In conclusion, these steps are to be approached as a circle rather than a ladder. Meaning that they are all important components of creating engagement. They build on each other and the last step is not the end result but an ongoing progress leading us back to step one.

Storskaliga öppna nätbaserade kurser, MOOCar, med självstyrd studietakt skapar en lärandesituation där kursdeltagaren står i centrum och aktivt kan påverka sin egen studieprocess. Ett problem som kursdeltagare upplever är att de får begränsat stöd och hjälp av lärare eller andra kursdeltagare. Möjligheten till social interaktion är avgörande för främjandet av lärandeprocessen i nätbaserade utbildningar visar tidigare forskning. Studien ämnar därför att utforska om direktuppspelning (livestreaming) kan användas som ett pedagogiskt verktyg för att främja den sociala interaktionen mellan kursdeltagare samt mellan kursdeltagare och lärare i MOOCar med självstyrd studietakt. Utifrån en systematisk litteraturstudie utformades ett moment med direktuppspelning via Twitch som testades i praktiken i en MOOC som gavs av Kungliga Tekniska högskolan (KTH). Vi utvärderade sedan momentet genom en enkät till kursdeltagarna och intervju med läraren. En intervju genomfördes också med ytterligare en lärare på KTH som tidigare genomfört ett antal kursmoment där direktuppspelning använts. MOOCar karakteriseras av att de skall vara tillgängliga för alla, därav valdes användarvänlig och kostnadsfri plattform och programvara. På grund av att en direktuppspelning inom MOOCar ska kunna stödja ett stort deltagarantal gavs kursdeltagarna enbart möjlighet att kommunicera via chatt medan läraren kunde kommunicera via såväl chatt som ljud och video. Studien visade att såväl kursdeltagare som lärarna upplevde direktuppspelning som ett givande komplement till de kommunikationsmöjligheter som redan ges i MOOCar med självstyrd studietakt men att läraren bär ett stort ansvar i att möjliggöra de sociala interaktionerna som direktuppspelning ger möjlighet till. Direktuppspelning visades även ge en personlig kontakt som kan hjälpa minimera känslan av att vara isolerad. Baserat på studien utformades en manual för att underlätta implementeringen för lärare i framtida kurser. / Self-paced massive open online courses, MOOCs, provide individual learners with the opportunity to take control of their learning. However, MOOCs require learners to be able to fulfil the course with limited help from teachers and peers - something that is highlighted as an essential factor to enhance the learning experience in distance education. Therefore this study aims to explore the use of live streaming as a pedagogic tool in self-paced MOOCs to enhance communication between learners and between learners and the teacher. Based on a systematic literature study, a live streaming event was designed and conducted via Twitch in a self-paced MOOC given by KTH Royal Institute of Technology. To evaluate the event surveys were handed out to the learners and the teacher was interviewd. An interview was also conducted with another teacher at KTH who had experience with planning and executing live streaming events. Since MOOCs are characterized as being accessible to everyone a user-friendly and free platform plus software were selected. Due to the fact that a live streaming event in MOOCs must be able to support a large number of learners, we chose to allow learners to communicate only via chat while the teacher was able to communicate via chat, audio and video. The study showed that both the learners and the teacher perceived this moment as a rewarding complement to the opportunities for communication already provided in self-paced MOOCs but that the teacher has a major responsibility in enabling the interactions that live streaming allows. The teacher also felt that live streaming provided a personal contact and could therefore be a means to minimize the sense of isolation that is often associated with self-paced MOOCs. The study further designed a manual to facilitate implementation in future courses.