Cultural Authenticity as Netflix Televisuality: Streaming Industry Discourse and Globally Commissioned Original Series

This analysis uses a media industry studies approach in conjunction with Caldwell’s concept of “televisuality” to explore the significance of cultural authenticity within Netflix’s industrial discourses. The authors argue that Netflix’s emphasis on cultural authenticity in its global content strategies mirrors the concept of “televisuality” as a form of corporate behavior and cultural representation in the streaming era. Specifically, the findings demonstrate the ways in which cultural authenticity can be understood as an industrial practice, distinct from the specific textual, narrative, or genre-related elements of its content. In addition, this research finds that executives’ assertions about universal storytelling diminish the significance of cultural differences, enabling them to present this diluted version of cultural authenticity as a catalyst for fostering global empathy and understanding. Yet, the broader utility of conceptualizing cultural authenticity as the overarching industrial logic of contemporary streaming television remains unclear as a result of Netflix’s distinctive position within the industry.