Conceptualizing communities of truth on YouTube

Abstract

Commentary on YouTube has been characterized as a ‘cesspool’. Yet, participants with divergent opinions do post comments to exchange ideas and share information. This study analyses comments posted to a video about YouTube community to investigate the site’s potential for knowledge exploration. The study analyses whether commentary dynamics exhibit those found in prior scholars’ rubric of a community of truth. This model rejects hierarchical forms of learning and advocates sincere information sharing and evaluation. The article argues that certain strands of media ecology scholarship are commensurate with the principles of a community of truth, in which knowledge seekers deploy digital environments to collectively explore a subject of inquiry – in this case the potential for establishing a YouTube community. Such a knowledge subject does not exist as a pre-defined object in the world but rather emerges through digital interaction that channels the subject’s desires about its ideal form through YouTube comments.