The term refers to a situation where media audiences fragment around the channels of their own choice. The beginnings of the fragmentation of media audiences occurred primarily with the development of cable television in the 1980s. Audiences no longer watch the limited number of existing broadcast television channels, but fragment according to which channel they prefer, whether in terms of subject matter or political opinion.
With the advent of the internet, this situation is even more accentuated as audiences are given another media type through which they can consume media. According to research, this results in both a significant increase in the number of media titles and platforms, which can fragment audiences, and an increase in the diversity of these titles, which can result in audiences moving away from each other or choosing only those sources that align with their views (so called selective exposure). In addition, alternative media are developing alongside the internet, as publishing on the internet does not require the same significant resources as running a radio or television station. Audiences thus find themselves in a so-called high-choice media environment.
On the one hand, the fragmentation of media audiences thus can be seen as a sign of the strengthening of information pluralism, but on the other hand, it can serve as a catalyst for opinion and political polarization and mutual definition against media or audiences with different opinions. The phenomenon of fragmentation can also be a challenge for public service media, which are tasked with publishing content that has the potential to reach as many people as possible. As media audiences fragment, they are forced to devise strategies to maintain this role.
