ABSTRACT
Pervasive stereotypes assume that contributors are motivated to take part in media productions because of their for fame, money, or attention – but the lack of existing research means that, in truth, we have little knowledge about the intentions they bring to their decisions to participate. In this chapter, I deconstruct the clichés about media contributors, arguing that they offer, at best, a partial explanation for why ordinary people choose to participate. Instead, I argue that media participation is an inherently political act, which offers ordinary people a way of performing democratic citizenship – albeit, one which is constrained and compromised by the competing goals the media.
