Treći medijski sektor iz perspektive demokratski angažiranih publika
Third media sector from the perspective of democratically engaged audiences

Summary/Abstract: Although non-profit or third-sector media are recently a contentious and widely discussed issue in Croatia, there is hardly any knowledge about the audiences of non-profit media and their relationship towards democratic politics. Theoretical framing of the normative role of non-profit media in democracy preceeds the empirical analysis of its role for the audiences in Croatia. The size and characteristics of non-profit media audiences are described and these audiences are compared to mainstream media audiences in terms of political interest, political information consumption, trust in the media, political efficacy and political participation. Analysis is based on data gathered through survey of a representative sample of Internet users in Croatia (N=1208). Descriptive, regression, and latent class analysis showed that 26% of Internet users follow non-profit media and that non-profit media audiences in Croatia have higher political interest, political efficacy, inform themselves more and engage more in politics. Audiences of non-profit media do not differ significantly in overall media consumption and trust in the media in comparison with the mainstream media audiences. The results have implications about the democratic potential of third-sector media in Croatia, and provide insights into a possible shape of polarization of online audiences.

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