The roles of journalistic YouTubers in the example of drama channels in Poland

Abstract

This article looks at Polish commentary creators. Based on the content analysis of Polish commentary (“drama”), Polish representatives of this genre are identified and characterised. Then, the social roles of channel creators and those of their audiences are described. A corpus of thirteen YouTube channels in Poland and nine roles were identified. These roles are sheriff, judge, king of entertainment, guide, educator, psychologist, leader, manipulator, and authority. The study included commentary videos by selected creators, published on YouTube from 2016 until November 2022. The author’s compilation and list of roles assumed by commentary writers provides a basis for further research for media and communications scholars, particularly those studying cancel culture, media convergence, and participatory culture, but also for psychologists, educators, and cultural experts. Using the research content analysis method, this study looks at drama channels to reflect on existing research to develop a critical literature analysis.