This is simplified to the point of banality.

Social-Media-Kommentare zu Gestaltungsweisen von TV-Dokus

Abstract

This study offers a contribution to the reception analysis of TV doc­umentaries by focusing on viewer opinions expressed on social me­dia. It analyses German and English comments from YouTube and Facebook in order to find out what aspects of documentaries the audience comments on. More specifically, it describes how the viewers evaluate strategies that the producers use for simplifying complex content while still creating an appealing and entertaining media product. The results imply that most viewers appreciate informative shows that are entertaining at the same time. They also show that viewers tend to focus on the music and image, rather than on the spoken text, and that documentaries where nature plays an important role are judged more positively than science and history documentaries.