Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Various studies have explored the influence of both technology and social and cultural changes on traditional newspapers to assess the present status of print and to offer a perspective for its future, but there has been little interest in exploring the symbolic dimension of print media consumption which refers to the relationship between self-identity and consumer’s attraction to and preferences for specific media objects. To remediate this issue, the current study explores symbolic consumption of traditional newspapers, especially from the perspective of how they - as material commodities or artefacts - allow consumers to reflect the self. We take an interdisciplinary approach by engaging in the theoretical debate three different disciplines- audience research, consumer research, and material culture studies. More specifically, this qualitative study explores Romanian readers’ symbolic consumption of print media products by using three data collection methods: interviews, participant observation, and media-use diaries. We conducted a thematic analysis to explore the universe of actions and meanings that constitute print media consumption. The findings reveal five distinctive categories of print media consumption practices, with ‘consuming print media as identity work’ being one of them, and the defining role played by materiality in the fabric of these practices. The findings reflect the relevance of symbolic dimension of print media consumption and illustrate that print media still has potential for relevant products in an increasingly digital media environment.