Holding Television Accountable: Essays on Audience Demands in the Social Media Age

This work discusses the impact of television show audience participation and expectations in the age of social media through reception theory, content analysis, and primary research on social media platforms. It explores how audience reception can influence creative decisions and initiatives, such as "cancel culture" and diversity efforts, by thoroughly and critically analyzing shows like Girls, The 100, Big Brother, and Southern Charm to illustrate this phenomenon. Various types of television are examined, including reality TV, network and cable TV, and streaming TV, to explore the influence of audience reception on creative ownership and accountability, thus demonstrating the power of social media in the hands of viewers.