There’s been a lot of discussion surrounding traditional media and fan media in recent weeks. The Scottish mainstream platforms have always had an interesting relationship with the Celtic faithful and indeed the club itself. Meanwhile, supporters are increasingly turning towards fan led media as an alternative way to engage with the latest Celtic news, views, discussion and even history.
That fan media is having a major impact on the way people in which engage with the club is perhaps most evident since the club have invited representatives of various Celtic websites and podcasts to attend press conferences. Beyond that domain, major channels such as Sky Sports have asked Celtic podcasters to talk about the latest issues on their programmes.
But can the two co-exist? Is there a place for both traditional and fan media? Can they even compliment one another? And where does the club’s own media fit into this?
These are all questions that I have been considering, and the answers to which I believe can greatly enhance the work produced by all parties. So, to develop a deeper understanding of Celtic supporters and the way in which they interact with various forms of media, I began to design a survey for market research and data analysis purposes.
I hope to launch said survey in the coming weeks, exploring every nuance of traditional, fan and club media. However, in the meantime, I posed the following simple (yes/no) question to the world of Celtic Twitter this afternoon: “Do you engage with fan media platforms more than mainstream media when it comes to Celtic?”
The poll covered a very small sample, encompassing 105 votes, but the results were somewhat resounding. 79% of respondents indicated that they engage with fan media more than traditional outlets, whereas 21% said the opposite.
In qualitative terms, the feedback, albeit limited, highlighted a need for further exploration. Indeed, one of the fans behind the incredible encyclopedic CelticWiki site suggested that although he uses fan media more frequently, there is still a place for professional journalists.
On the other hand, a prominent Celtic podcaster and author, said that he has totally abandoned national newspapers, radio stations and even the club’s magazine production. He does so because he feels that the content offered by supporters is “far better”.
The debate is set to continue, but with greater information the Celtic support are going to be the winners by being able to enjoy increasingly high quality content.
