Abstract
In the past few years a considerable amount of literature has appeared concerning talk shows, in particular those with active participation of studio audiences. The evaluation of these shows in the light of their contribution to mediated public debates, varies from praise for presumed postmodern qualities to utter condemnation for their trivialization of everything deemed serious. This article confronts these views with an analysis of Dutch audience discussion shows dealing with racism and a multicultural society. The main question is in what ways do audience discussion shows offer a forum for public debate on racism and a multicultural society in the Netherlands? This question is answered by looking at the numbers of white and ethnic minority participants and the perspectives included in the debates. The article also tries to establish the impact of characteristics of the genre on the debates. The results indicate that talk shows have some potential for offering unexpected, controversial and oppositional perspectives from ethnic minority groups.
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