"We do not know how to describe the audience for new media. 'Audience' fits the activities of listening and watching. New information and communication technologies open up more active and diverse modes of engagement with media - playing, surfing, searching, chatting and downloading." (Livingstone 2005, 44)
An interesting article addressing this idea is "Dude, Where's my Audience". They suggest that traditional media measurements and tracking aren't keeping up with new habits such as time-shifting programs and multi-tasking (sitting with one eye on the TV with another on the laptop in front of you). They suggest that because media measurements are failing to measure this, the new media audience is probably being vastly underestimated.
References:
Banks, J. (2002). "Gamers as Co-Creators: Enlisting the Virtual Audience - A Report From the Net Face," in M. Balnaves, T. O'Regan and J. Sternberg (eds) Mobilising the Audience, St Lucia: University of Queensland Press.
Livingstone, S. (2005). "Media Audiences, Interpreters and Users," in M. Gillespie (ed.) Media Audiences, Maidenhead: Open University Press.
TheAge.com. (2007). Dude, Where's My Audience? Retrieved April 15, 2008, from http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/dude-wheres-my-audience/2007/07/24/1185043119701.html?page=fullpage
2 comments:
Adaws,
You raise some really interesting points in this article. Audience research is such an important source of information in the new media environment. We are constantly drawing on the media to help shape our attitudes, values and beliefs on the world (Livingstone, 2005, 9). At the same time, media, in all its forms, is dependent on us as audiences, as we are the essential link in all communication practices (Sternberg, 2008). For these reasons, our interactions and interdependency on the media has become the focus of much discussion and research. Evidently, it is in the interests of numerous conflicting groups to find out if, and more commonly how, such a powerful source is influencing and being consumed by its audience. For this reason, audience research is an important source of information for all groups who hold a stake in these implications. Despite its importance, I agree that audience research approaches have been flawed. As outlined by Perse (2006, 169) audience research approaches have traditionally lent towards a critical view whereby media is seen to manipulate audiences and have strong effects. At the same time, we have in recent years, seen a trend towards more qualitative rather than quantitative analysis (Sternberg, 2008). From these practices, the audience has been realized as being more active rather than passive (Jenkins, 2002, 157) which is an important identification as stated by yourself.
Jenkins, H. 2002. Interactive Audiences. In The New Media Book, ed. D. Harries, 157-170. London: BFI Publishing
Livingstone, S. 2005. Media Audiences, Interpreters and Users. In Media Audiences, ed.M.Gillespie, 9-50. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Perse, E. 2006. Models of Media Effects. In Mass Communication: Volume One, ed. D. McQuail, 166-169. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Sternberg, J. 2008. Introduction to Audiences. Brisbane: QUT. [Lecture: KCB301].
Hi Annelise,
Thanks for commenting! Obviously I agree about the importance of audience research and perhaps this is so important because media companies have discovered the worth of audiences and the advantages that come with understanding the behaviours and thoughts of the people who are consuming their media. I think you bring up a valuable point yourself about this idea where you suggest that we are the essential link in all communication processes and hence media is dependent on us. Something that I feel is important to recognise (which perhaps you will also agree with because I believe you have blogged about it) is the changes in the audience and the emergence of the empowered audience. There seems to have been a switch between the distribution of power among media companies and the audience. Media companies no longer have such a strangle-hold over this new 'active' audience and I believe that audience research is more vital than ever before at this time as the behaviours of this audience is not as easily and clearly described or defined as those of the more traditional audience were.
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