Brand journalism: how media organizations behave on Twitter. The presence on Twitter of Flemish public (Studio Brussel, MNM) and commercial (Q-Music, JOEfm) radio channels

no isbnABSTRACT In this paper we analyze the presence on Twitter of four radio channels, both public and private, in Dutch-speaking Belgium (Flanders). A quantitative content analysis of 1003 tweets posted between 1 and 15 April 2013 by four radio channels (Studio Brussel and MNM for the public broadcaster VRT, JOE fm and Q-Music for the commercial broadcaster Medialaan) was combined with three expert interviews with the heads of digital media of Studio Brussel, MNM and JOE fm/Q-Music. The findings show that self-promotion and branding is more important than functioning as a news channel, for public and private channels alike. News is defined in terms of the channels ‘core business’ which is music news in contrast to general news (with MNM as the only exception). The tone of voice is strikingly positive and touting. Interaction with the audience is the most expressed goal in the interviews but in reality it is often solved with the least possible effort (for example retweeting messages of the audience instead of replying to them). Commercial channels take the interaction with the audience as a form of customer care more serious than do public service channels. Behavior on twitter depends on individuals rather than on organizations or organizational policy, with formal rules less developed for radio than for television. Further research is needed into the twitter behavior of individual journalists. As for the radio channels we can conclude that their tweets are the expression of a hybrid form of journalism, marketing and public relations.status: publishe