As television outlets have proliferated through cable and streaming services, programming, both for adults and teens, has increasingly explored controversial and sensitive issues. Simultaneously, online fandom and social media engagement surrounding television has also proliferated, thus raising questions as to the role of online fan discussions of such sensitive topics. While audiences have always differed in their interpretation and reaction to television programming, how does the ability to put these opinions in a public forum change the potential of television messaging? How do and how should networks guide fan conversation, particularly with regard to programming for teens and young adults about important and potentially triggering issues?
Brown, Stephanie Anne. 2018. “Millennial Fandom and the Failures of Switched at Birth’s Sexual Assault Education Campaign.” In “Social TV Fandom and the Media Industries,” edited by Myles McNutt, special issue, Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 26.