Following the development of Asian American representation in the United States media in the 21st century, this thesis aims to explore the alternative narratives provided by the AsianBossGirl podcast which started in 2017 to fill the gap in the mainstream media. Intersectional framework has been operationalized to conduct an in-depth reading of their narratives, and complemented by the theory of uses and gratification to investigate the impacts that they have on their audiences. The results demonstrate that their narratives of Asian American experience deviate from both cultural and stereotypical traditions. They contest the norms through relatable, subversive and authentic content that resonate with their listeners. However, through the intersectional lens, this thesis is able to identify the danger of neglecting multidimensionality in the Asian American communities which encompass a diverse history of immigration in the United States.

Today, social media is used not only for communication and entertainment, but also as one of the most important platforms for receiving news. A lot of young adults take part in news through social media and in many cases social media is the only source for socially important information. The new role as a news provider, which social media has adopted, is examined from an audience perspective with a focus on habits and opinions. This study examined the digital news habits of Generation Z. The study is based on two research questions: one about how Generation Z take part in news via social media and one about how they are critical of the source. The study had a quantitative approach with additional qualitative elements and implemented a web survey as a method. The web survey combined open questions, multiple-choice questions and one-answer questions, the combination gave us both a broad overview with numbers to measure, but also qualitative and deeper answers that the respondent themself had formulated. There were three theories applied to the study, the theories are electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM), Uses and Gratification theory and Social Network theory. These theories provided the basis for the design of the web survey and were implemented in the analysis and discussion of the study result.  The result of the study showed that all respondents receive news via social media daily, but that receiving news is usually not an active choice. News finds the audience without them looking for it, this is mostly due to algorithms and social networks. A lot of the respondents answered that they do not trust news that are published on social media, nevertheless they continue to take part in news via social media. The result also showed that the respondents believe that a lack of source criticism is one of the biggest disadvantages of news on social media.

Detta är en kvalitativ användarstudie där syftet är att få en ökad förståelse av hur användare av den sociala mediaplattformen BeReal ser på sin användning. Specifikt vill studien få fram vad det är som motiverar användare, hur de ser på självrepresentationen på plattformen samt vilken roll plattformens interaktionsmöjligheter har. Ämnet valdes då BeReal, med sitt koncept om en verklighetsspeglande social medieplattform, skapar en undran över hur detta tas emot av användare. Då plattformen är så pass ny finns det inte någon gedigen vetenskaplig forskning kring ämnet, en vetenskapslucka denna studie ämnar fylla. Studien samlade in det empiriska materialet genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Materialet analyserades sedan med hjälp av de teoretiska ramverken uses and gratification, intrycksstyrning samt interaktionsmöjligheter. Analysen visade att det finns olika motivationer till användandet, de huvudsakliga var att följa med i trenden av att använda nya sociala mediaplattformar, att hålla kontakt med vänner och ta del av deras bilder och att kunna spara och se tillbaka på ens egna bilder. Gällande självrepresentationen kom det fram att informanterna inte ansåg att det går att vara helt äkta eller verklig på sociala medier, men att BeReal är den plattform som kommer närmast. Självrepresentationen influeras dels av BeReals koncept, dels av ens kontakter på plattformen. BeReals interaktionsmöjligheter visade sig även styra både motivationer och självrepresentationen. Utöver att till stor del bekräfta det tidigare forskning kommit fram till gällande andra sociala medieplattformar fick denna studie fram ny kunskap i form av interaktionsmöjligheten ’enkelhet’. Informanterna har ett behov av enkla sociala medieplattformar där en mer verklig självrepresentation är normen.

Digital hostility has become an issue on social media, while discussing mentalhealth has become more recognized. Previous research has shown that influencersmost likely are not viewed as the ideal victim, thus leading to harassment becominga normalized and accepted behavior directed at them. The aim of this study is,therefore, to find out how the media audiences interact with influencers who openlyhave addressed their mental health issues online. In order to study the interaction, amixed method content analysis has been made on the comment sections of theinfluencers Gabbie Hannas and FouseyTubes TikTok accounts, as well as on thevideo responses made by the audiences. Parasocial interactions- as well as uses andgratifications-theory, were applied to this study due to their relevance to the subjectof interactions between the active audience and media content, or in this case, socialmedia influencers. Study 1, the quantitative content analysis, concluded that amajority of the comments were positive and supportive of Gabbie Hanna, while thecomment section under FouseyTubes videos often consisted of negative comments.The result for this part of the study aligned partly with previous research, whichstated that influencers often are victims of harassment and stalking-like behaviorsfrom the audience. Moreover it concluded that previous research regardinganonymous accounts being more likely to be hostile towards influencers, werecorrect. Study 2, the qualitative content analysis, concluded that a majority ofTikTok users use a negative tonality when making video-responses towards GabbieHanna and FouseyTube. Furthermore, the results aligned with previous researchwhich claimed society justifies digital hostility towards influencers. The observationshowed how the audience, generally, paid low- or no- regard towards the subject oftheir mental health. In conclusion, this study presents how the interaction betweentwo influencers, who have encountered a public scandal in regards to their mentalhealth, and TikTok users can look like. While the study may not be applicable toevery influencer, understanding of how the interaction can, and has, manifested isshown. In addition the study provides more context to how the culture online looksin regards to Gabbie Hanna and FouseyTube.

The popular music duo known as Hooja and DJ Mårdhund was during 2023 known by most of the Swedish population. They won prizes, did interviews and even had their own documentary by the Swedish public service SVT. This was all achieved while the duo was anonymous, only showing themselves with masks and layers of clothes as well as thick northern accents. However, on the 6th of July 2023, their true identities were revealed as well as where they live and how much money they make, in an article written by the Swedishnewspaper Aftonbladet. Before the reveal they had such a huge medial platform where they could express themselves however they wanted but with the article by Aftonbladet it was also revealed that everything they said in the interviews wan´t true. This raised the question, har source criticism in journalism disappeared? Journalism has such a power in society that it is highly important that the information shared is truthful. Without source criticism there is no telling of what is true and what's made up and the power is instead moved from trusted journalistic newsrooms to everyday people who want a place in the paper. The purpose of this study is to in depth analyze how journalistic medias used framing and have portrayed the duo before their identities were revealed. This has been done using a qualitative thematic analysis on four different publications (two of each) by the Swedish public service Sveriges radio and Aftonbladet. The themes found during the analysis were“Characters”, “Source criticism”, “Truthfulness” and “Behind the masks”. The result showed that at least two of the articles gravely lacked source criticism and that the music duo pretty much had free rain to portray themselves however they wanted. Only one of the articles contained a high level of criticism. In the discussion the theories of uses and gratification and framing theory was used to show how media has used the fame of Hooja and how Hooja has used media platforms as a way to market themselves.

The rise of email newsletters as a popular means of engaging audiences has transformed the landscape of journalism and news dissemination. Marketers and news organisations alike have recognised the potential of newsletters as an effective way to reach and engage with their audiences. This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of this growing phenomenon by exploring the motivations behind news consumers accessing news via newsletters and then identifying patterns of user behaviour.   Legacy media outlets, such as The New York Times and Axios, have also adopted newsletters to enhance audience engagement and generate revenues. Email newsletters, unlike traditional newspapers, often focus on specific topics or niches, demanding regular, high-quality content for success. Despite the significant growth of newsletter journalism, academic research on the phenomenon and users' behaviour remains limited. The study seeks to address this gap by applying the uses and gratification theory, which suggests that people consume media for various purposes, including entertainment, education, and information. By conducting a survey and interviews among European newsletter readers, the research aims to begin to understand the motivations driving news consumers to subscribe to newsletters and identify typical consumption patterns. The exploratory study found that personal and cognitive needs play significant roles in motivating newsletter readers, while social and affective needs may have less influence.   In conclusion, this thesis contributes to the understanding of changes in online news consumption by shedding light on the motivations behind news consumers' preference for newsletters and their behaviour in this evolving digital landscape. Understanding users' needs and expectations is essential for journalists and news organisations to adapt and thrive in today’s dynamic media environment.

In our digital society, media platforms have become an essential tool for refugees as they flee their home and arrive in new countries. The ongoing war in Ukraine has forced millions of civilians to seek protection and to negotiate and rebuild their lives in unfamiliar cities. Uppsala, Sweden, has received approximately 1500 Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the war. It is crucial to understand their communication pathways and the ways in which they utilize  media platforms, as this understanding can aid in supporting their integration process.  The purpose of this study is to enhance comprehension of how female Ukrainian refugees in Uppsala utilize media platforms, and to investigate how social media can be used as an asset in the integration processes. To address the research questions, a total of 5 Ukrainian women residing in Uppsala were interviewed, and a netnography was conducted. The collected data was analyzed using a thematic analysis, supported by the theoretical framework of Uses and Gratification and the model of Refugee Integration through Social Media.  The findings indicate that various media platforms are utilized by Ukrainian women for social, informational, cultural and entertainment-related purposes. Some of the most prominent social media platforms that emerged in the findings were Telegram, Facebook, Viber and Instagram. Other, traditional media, such as TV and radio, was also employed for obtaining information and learning the Swedish language. The results further demonstrate that social media can be an asset for integration within the dimensions of fostering social connections, exploring employment opportunities and supporting language learning. These were all identified themes in the Facebook group that was used for the netnographic investigation.

In today's media landscape, the consumer has a wide variety of choices. One salient genre that has grown in popularity over the past decade is true crime. A genre that previous research has shown is popular with the female audiences. As the media can play a very important role in women's lives, both consciously and subconsciously, this is a phenomenon worth investigating. By analyzing the primary audience and trying to understand how they themselves perceive, use and discuss true crime, we can create a clearer picture of how true crime meets different kinds of needs of the female individual. As true crime is a genre that depicts real crimes and in many cases serious crimes committed against women, it is an interesting element in a mediatized world where new research is flourishing to create an understanding of how both common and unusual phenomena are constantly appearing on streaming services, social media, in podcast formats and other media-based forums. Using a qualitative methodological approach, we conducted a user study based on the empirical findings of six in-depth interviews with women who themselves have a keen interest in true crime. The analysis is also based on a deep dive into previous research on the phenomenon of women's interest in true crime, morbid curiosity and a theoretical framework consisting mainly of uses and gratification but also underpinned by morbid curiosity. For the analysis, a thematic analysis scheme was used in order to explore whether there are more factors that create the interest of the female true crime audience than what has been shown in previous research. The participating female true crime users described how they use true crime as a mental preparation and survival strategy. It also became clear how these women use true crime as a form of therapy to process their own experiences they either had to go through themselves or things that have happened around them. What also became clear was the complexity regarding the morbid curiosity and fascination for the perpetrator and the crime was paralleled by a reverence and compassion for the victim while they identified with the story on different levels. This user study aims to provide a broader understanding of true crime audiences as a phenomenon in the media world, partly to understand the purpose of users, but also to be able to reflect these factors in order to raise awareness among media producers of various kinds in order to meet the needs of the market.

Two topics currently lead the debates in the museum sector: audience development and the use of digital media. This study addresses these debates by investigating how gamified mobile applications can support engagement with museums’ topics. It examines the online audience and their motivations for the use of media. It uses “MuseumStars” - which can be characterized as a museums quiz app for remote use - as a case study. Based on the uses and gratifications theory the study uses a mixed-methods approach. An online survey and two focus groups were conducted. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and qualitative content analysis. The findings show that the main user motivation is to learn new things and to prepare or substitute a museum visit. In contrast to other research on mobile gaming, the connection to the physical space played a crucial role in using the application, while competition was less prominent. The findings also demonstrate that to better accommodate the audience's needs content is key. Hence, it can be concluded that digital media per se will not enhance engagement without the right presentation of the content: It must be translated to the media in an appropriate way to support the uses and gratifications of the audience and thus enhance engagement with museums’ topics.

The Disney Princess Brand includes 11 Disney Princess films from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to Brave (2012). The goal of this campaign is for audiences to be entertained by the narratives while encouraging identification with the princesses in the films (Do Rozario, 2004; Orenstein, 2006). Scholars have suggested possible media effects of representations and messages depicted related to gender roles (England, Descartes, and Collier-Meek, 2011) and romantic relationships (Segrin and Nabi, 2002). No studies to date have examined the potential correlation between media effects of all 11 Disney Princess films and viewers' expectations regarding romantic relationships with a theoretical background in cultivation theory, social cognitive theory, wishful identification, and uses and gratification theory. The purpose of this thesis was to explore the relationship between potential media effects due to watching Disney Princess films and expectations of romantic relationships. An online cross-sectional survey was administered to female undergraduate students enrolled at Virginia Tech (N = 110). Bivariate correlation analyses were computed to measure the data. Results did not support hypotheses related to motivations for watching Disney Princess films, cultivated ideologies due to exposure of all films, and perceived similarity to princesses in relation to idealistic beliefs of romantic relationships. Wishful identification with the princesses was significantly correlated with participants' idealistic beliefs of romantic relationships. Possible implications are that participants in late adolescence (18 - 23 years of age) wish to be like the Disney princesses and to have similar romantic relationships that are represented in the films. / Master of Arts