That’s a great point. It relates to the Uses & Gratifications theory, that explains the audience’s decisions to consume specific content from specific media.

In my view, the question is more than the viewer’s passive-active behavior but also the idea that their choices are motivated by the perceived outcome for them (WIIFM) of both the content and the medium itself. Meaning, the gratifications they would get from active and passive actions are different than those of the current pattern of behavior in terms of content and meaning (for example, news consumption v. escapism and entertainment).