From Second Screen to Main Screen. 'Backup' the First TV Show Created for Instagram

Abstract

In recent years, traditional television has been challenged by new media with a predominantly audiovisual character: social networks, VOD platforms, OTT, etc., a competition that affects the mode of consumption and that also influences the approaches, formats and modes of production and dissemination of news contents. In this context, RTVE has been the first Spanish audiovisual group to create an informative series for the Instagram TV social network: BackUp, an investigative program that deals with the most common cybercrimes. This research analyzes to what extent the innovations offered by BackUp can be considered a renewal within the audiovisual narrative of traditional television. For this, a triangular methodology has been designed based on qualitative content analysis and an in-depth interview. It is appreciated that the narrative of the Instagram platform conditions the format and content, in a commitment to brevity, dynamism and the use of innovative visual and infographic elements. Amongst the main conclusions, we find that informative contents, as well as specific public service contents for social networks can be produced following traditional television's quality parameters. Moreover, the very use of social network innovations does not affect the content's credibility, but it does affect the way in which it is told.