Chapter 3: From Screen to Stream: Politicising COVID-19 Vaccination in Carte Blanche's Online Audience

This chapter examines the multifaceted influence of television on public opinion and political discourse in the contemporary digital age. It focusses on the role of Carte Blanche, a long-standing South African news programme, in prompting online discourse around COVID-19 vaccinations. Through a qualitative discourse analysis of viewer engagement on X, this study shows a politicised discussion about vaccination that is intertwined with anti-fandom and echo chamber dynamics. It demonstrates how Carte Blanche prompts viewers to engage in online conversations that amplify anti-vaccine sentiment and government mistrust and thereby partially reflect tensions within the online community. This study offers an insight into how Carte Blanche has initiated contemporary digital conversations thereby contributing to understanding how television influences South African society today. Within the South African context, it encourages viewer interaction, via social media, and demonstrates television’s crucial role in stimulating online discourse and facilitating collective engagement.