A research program by the Media and Journalism Research Center aimed at studying the latest trends in news media and information consumption
In 2025, as part of its renewed strategic direction, the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) launched Who’s Listening?—a research initiative aimed at unpacking the complex dynamics of diverse audiences and communities. Unlike MJRC’s traditional media mapping projects, this initiative shifts the lens toward the social, political, and cultural environments that shape the audiences media organizations hope to reach.
The project seeks to explore how people engage with, consume, create, and share information in the course of their everyday lives—and to what extent that engagement is driven by professional journalism and established media outlets.
Projects
Life on social media in Central and Eastern Europe: habits, beliefs, attitudes
Objective and rationale
This research analyzes the nuanced characteristics of social media users in Eastern Europe, exploring their profiles and behaviors in greater detail. The backdrop to this investigation includes a series of noteworthy political developments, most notably the latest 2024 presidential election in Romania, which signaled profound changes within the region’s information and communication landscape. While much of the discourse thus far has centered on mapping and analysing foreign influence, far less is understood about the underlying motivations that steer audiences toward various sources and platforms for information.
To date, studies on media consumption have largely relied on a macro framework—focusing on quantifiable metrics such as website traffic, user engagement on social networks, and time spent consuming content. While valuable, this macro perspective often overlooks crucial contextual nuances.
This research project seeks to strike a different chord by embedding itself within the microcosms of audiences, aiming to unearth how a bevy of factors—ranging from local economic conditions and cultural norms to personal values, attitudes, and beliefs—shapes individual approaches to communication and information consumption.
Methodology
As part of the project Life on Social Media in Central and Eastern Europe: Habits, Beliefs, Attitudes, run by the Media and Journalism Research Center in partnership with the Thomson Foundation, four case studies were developed, detailed as follows:
a). TikTok usage in Romania
Raluca Petre (Ovidius University Constanta, Romania)
Alexandra Codău (Ovidius University Constanta, Romania)
Valentin Vanghelescu (Ovidius University Constanta, Romania)
Adrian Anton (Ovidius University Constanta, Romania)
Raluca Radu (University of Bucharest, Romania)
Manuela Preoteasa (Euractiv, Romania)
b). Facebook usage in Hungary
Eva Bognar (Media Forum Association, Hungary)
c). Facebook usage among Hungarian-speaking communities in Romania
Tibor Toro (Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Romania)
Tamás Kiss (Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities, Romania)
d). X (formerly Twitter) usage in Poland
Michal Glowacki (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Filip Switkowski (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Jacek Mikucki (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Jan Manicki (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Each case study was carried out by a research team of experts conducting a minimum of 20 detailed, face-to-face (in person or on video platforms) interviews with active users of the respective platforms. These conversations covered two key thematic areas outlined in the questionnaire below.
List of topics and questions used in interviews
Section 1
The first segment seeks to understand people’s perspectives on civic engagement, political inclinations and cultural interests.
1.1 Civic Engagement
This part seeks to unearth information about participants’ attitudes and behaviors regarding civic participation, aiming to uncover the impact, motivations, and obstacles associated with being actively involved in their communities. Sample questions include:
– Which civic activities do you normally engage in (e.g., voting in elections, participating in protests, volunteering with local organizations, contacting elected representatives, attending town hall discussions, etc.)?
– Who are the people you typically converse with about social or political issues (e.g., family, friends, colleagues, etc.)?
– What topics or issues interest you the most (e.g., education, healthcare, corruption, climate change, economic conditions, etc.)?
– How would you evaluate your understanding of how local and national governments operate?
1.2 Political Preferences and Opinions
The aim of this part is to gauge respondents’ political leanings and understand the criteria they use when forming judgments about political candidates and ideologies. Illustrative questions include:
– Which political party do you trust to address the issues that matter the most to you?
– What key factors do you consider when assessing a political candidate’s suitability?
– How would you characterize yourself in terms of political beliefs (allow interviewees to refer in their own words to their political identity, i.e. left, right, liberal, etc.)?
– Which foreign nations or global powers do you view as the most reliable, supportive, or beneficial allies to your country, and which ones do you consider untrustworthy or the least amicable towards your nation?
1.3 Cultural Interests
This portion of the interview seeks to uncover the types of cultural experiences and events individuals are most attracted to and prefer engaging with. Suggested questions include:
– When it comes to your cultural and leisure pursuits, which areas dominate your spending (i.e., tickets to theatre/cinema/concerts/sporting events, museum visits, purchases such as books, streaming services, or digital media subscriptions, etc.)?
Section 2
The second section is dedicated to exploring people’s affinity for technology, the driving forces behind individuals’ engagement with social networks, with an emphasis on their primary uses, such as seeking and consuming content, the nature and purpose of the information pursued, and so on.
2.1 Tech Use
– On a scale of “baby steps” to “tech wizard,” how would you rate your expertise with modern communication technologies?
– On average, how much time do you spend online each day, and which types of websites, platforms, or apps dominate your browsing habits? Please share as much detail as possible, including insight into how much of this activity occurs on mobile devices.
– What kinds of products or services do you most frequently pay for online?
2.2 Content choices
Social media use
– What are your primary uses of the social media platform Facebook/TikTok/X (e.g., communication, entertainment, activism, etc.)? Please expand on your usage patterns in as much detail as possible.
– Why does social media platform Facebook/TikTok/X appeal to you more than other media: what value, benefits, or unique incentives does it offer that stand out to you?
– How do you decide what content or information to engage with on the social media platform Facebook/TikTok/X? For example, what factors influence your choices when deciding what to watch, read, or listen to?
Media use
– What kinds of media content do you typically consume, and how do you go about searching for it (confirm how the interviewee defines “media,” whether that includes media platforms, social networks, or other types of content providers.)
– What are your thoughts on a). the media and journalists and b). influencers in your local community and in your country overall: do you trust, interact with, or follow any of them?
– What qualities must a source (medium) possess to gain your confidence? With that in mind, where do you typically look for information, and what approach do you take to find information regarding the following topics:
a. Elections and political matters, including candidates, ideological debates, or international politics.
b. Issues of your interest, including topics like education, healthcare, or corruption.
c. Local cultural and sports events of interest.
Publication
The study produced as part of this project is to be published in May 2025.