Importance of Understanding Audiences - Literature review Example

Understanding Audiences Introduction Authors write articles based on what is happening on the socio-economy, and the authors try to determine why and how such situations occur. There views sometimes are different while at other times presents similar views. An example of an issue that is addressed widely by numerous authors is in media audience. Thus, the aim of this paper is to summarize three articles providing the similarities and differences as outlined in this articles pertaining media audience. Discussion According to Turner in his article titled “Television current affairs: does its have a future” initially TV used to provide background news and served as a key location for network identity, for the discharge of television’s public information responsibilities and for shaping public debate. In the 1980 and 1990s the TV industry faced dramatic problems owing to most dramatic ownership upheaval. The selling of networks at inflated prices and shrinking advertisements implied that many were in trouble and the management sort refuge in current affairs programs (Allen, 2007). As a result, of the problem during the time investment and innovations were at its climax. The audience of current affairs programs on TV has declined over the time. Most of these audiences are older population with the young population being interested more in comedy and satiric programs. Majority of audiences now draw their news from cable news services or entertainment programs. The decline in current affairs program audience has been witnessed in Australia, USA and Australia at alarming rates. From research, most youths only watch news while for entertainment purposes the youths get this from internet. Decline in interest in politics has been one of the reasons found by to be behind decline in TV audience (Ruddock, 2007). The increased number of TV stations in Australia has resulted in competition for advertisement customers and decline in returns. Thus, turner argued that unless current affairs TV revive its importance as a source of information it no longer has a future. Turning news into entertainment would no help it either. Given that journalists are not receptive to criticism from outside media and this limits the possibility of altering the format of current affairs TV to a format more deserving of this kind of legitimating where it can establish its credentials in future. The TV has been noted to be conservative industry where money can hang on its decisions. To have a future there is need for adoption of innovative strategies, which can produce more attractive platform. On his turn, Turnbull in his article titled “Traditional media and new media audience” argues that the most intriguing aspect of media audience is that media audience does not exist. Most of the audiences access the information at different times and at different places using different means. Audiences know that they are part of a certain TV audience through regular ratings, by reference from other people to the show on other TV shows and writing about it in other media such as magazines, books and newspapers. Reviews on the internet concerning a certain TV show may also tell the audience that they are part of a large number of people who watch the show (Ruddock, 2001). This shows that consumers of a certain TV show are not necessarily consumers of the media text but also producers of other media forms. Using media for the audiences own purposes arose in 1940s and were described in terms of uses and gratification (Wicks, 2001). With the advent of internet and Web 2.0, media uses have taken a new direction. For instance, President Obama used internet during his presidential campaign and to redesign the White House home page. Thus, one needs to access the kinds of media, which enable him to participate in the social and political life of culture. However, 21st century is still experiencing technological divide between the rich and the poor hence some people are more able to participate in the social and political life of culture. The modernist version of the public sphere which argues that journalism provides the information needed by audience to make decisions about how act within democratic society has been criticized for being too narrow, elitist and masculine (Allen, 2007). Focusing on serious journalism excludes more popular and tabloid forms of media. In a TV show the media producers, members of the public, the government and academics are interested in knowing the audience of the show. There is also industry interest for knowing the number of the audience for financial purposes especially for advertising industry, which charges their customers depending on the popularity of the show. Thus for commercial media, the rating of a certain show is seen in terms of profitability. Print media is able to track its ratings at the point of sale and through estimates. Most media derive their large part of income from advertisement (Ruddock, 2001). Thus, the media delivers the audience to advertisers. In doing so, the media industry is concerned about measuring the audience using quantitative measures and finding out the relationship between the product and the audience (Wicks, 2001). The government is concerned about the risk the audience is exposed to by watching or consuming certain contents in a certain media show. Some public groups are always in the forefront to advocate for monitoring of the content of specific themes aired in different media forms. This is aimed at protecting certain audience like children from being exposed to certain content that may not be good for their consumption (Allen, 2007). The evolution of media makes it difficult to monitor the content and how to protect specific audience from certain media and content. Academic audience research is usually responsive to public concern about the media. Some academicians see the audience as passive who attempts to measure the negative impact of the media. Under this some researchers like Bandura have found that exposure to violent images teaches children to act aggressively. Others like Gerbner have associated cultivation theory to try to demonstrate how exposure to images of violence and conflict may cultivate an attitude in the audience that the world is a violent and mean place (Ruddock, 2007). Other academicians imagine the audience as active. This line of arguments states that audiences use media for their own subversive ends. Research that has seen the audience as passive has mainly employed quantitative methods while that visualizing the audience as active has employed qualitative methods of research. On the other hand, Mathew in his article titled “Traditional media and the new media audience” argues that it is now challenging than ever before to contain the different social formation actions of the audience within the profitable corporate pathways. Internet has greatly altered the environment in which the media conducts and relates with the audience (Allen, 2007). Contents most often found online tend to elicit controversies once they cross the line and find their way on mainstream news services. In spite this, traditional media has remained predominant in our popular and professional cultural lives. Online adverts are mostly generated from within the traditional print media system. With the changing world, TV revenue now largely depends on SMS voting (Ruddock, 2001). Young generation gets informed through chat and public profiling. Revenue for music industry is largely generated via transmission of songs via network media. The internet that is currently most consumed by many audiences has little corporate control and profitable exploitation. The consumer has adapted very fast to networked online media than anyone else and hence will determine the future of traditional media and communication companies. The new media audience has three distinct characteristics that need to be well understood for any media company to remain afloat (Ruddock, 2001). First is the interaction (Allen, 2007). This implies that current audience is more active than the traditional passive audience. The audience is also distracted and fascinated at the same time. Thus, the audience has a greater level of engagement with media and at the same time reflects an attitude of being distracted (Wicks, 2001). The last characteristic is you can get it for ‘free’. The audience has realized some information, which is sold, can be obtained for free using alternative means. The internet has been able to meet all the three requirements and has thus been the choice of many media audiences in getting the information they are interested in. Conclusion The three articles agree that media audiences have been changing over the time. They also agree that the internet and online cable networks are taking up major part of media audience. Unlike Turner and Mathew who argue that TV media is on the decline, Turnbull argues that what is mainly found on the internet discussion is a subversive way where the audience has found new use of information they obtain on TV. However, all the three articles agree that most media audiences are now more active than ever before. The articles argue that the advent of improved technology has seen many audiences participate actively in the media being relayed to them via different means. The three articles argue that there has been increased reduction to media industry profitability due to advent of more innovative media platforms, which support the three characteristics of the audience outlined by Mathew. This is because many advertisers have many choices to choose from and to shift from interest in current affairs programs found on TV shows to more dynamic programs found online. Therefore, better understanding of the audience by the media industry is essential for their profitability and delivery of information and news. References Allen, M., 2007. Traditional media and the new media audience. Available at: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5326 [accessed 22 March, 2011] Ruddock, A., 2001. Understanding audiences: theory and method. London: SAGE Ruddock, A., 2007. Investigating audiences. London: SAGE Turnbull, S. Chapter 4: Imaging the audience. Turner, G., 2005. Ending the affair: the decline of television and current affairs in Australia. Sydney: UNSW Press. Wicks, R., 2001. Understanding audiences: learning to use the media constructively. London: L. Erlbaum Associates Read More

Most of the audiences access the information at different times and at different places using different means. Audiences know that they are part of a certain TV audience through regular ratings, by reference from other people to the show on other TV shows and writing about it in other media such as magazines, books and newspapers. Reviews on the internet concerning a certain TV show may also tell the audience that they are part of a large number of people who watch the show (Ruddock, 2001). This shows that consumers of a certain TV show are not necessarily consumers of the media text but also producers of other media forms.

Using media for the audiences own purposes arose in 1940s and were described in terms of uses and gratification (Wicks, 2001). With the advent of internet and Web 2.0, media uses have taken a new direction. For instance, President Obama used internet during his presidential campaign and to redesign the White House home page. Thus, one needs to access the kinds of media, which enable him to participate in the social and political life of culture. However, 21st century is still experiencing technological divide between the rich and the poor hence some people are more able to participate in the social and political life of culture.

The modernist version of the public sphere which argues that journalism provides the information needed by audience to make decisions about how act within democratic society has been criticized for being too narrow, elitist and masculine (Allen, 2007). Focusing on serious journalism excludes more popular and tabloid forms of media. In a TV show the media producers, members of the public, the government and academics are interested in knowing the audience of the show. There is also industry interest for knowing the number of the audience for financial purposes especially for advertising industry, which charges their customers depending on the popularity of the show.

Thus for commercial media, the rating of a certain show is seen in terms of profitability. Print media is able to track its ratings at the point of sale and through estimates. Most media derive their large part of income from advertisement (Ruddock, 2001). Thus, the media delivers the audience to advertisers. In doing so, the media industry is concerned about measuring the audience using quantitative measures and finding out the relationship between the product and the audience (Wicks, 2001).

The government is concerned about the risk the audience is exposed to by watching or consuming certain contents in a certain media show. Some public groups are always in the forefront to advocate for monitoring of the content of specific themes aired in different media forms. This is aimed at protecting certain audience like children from being exposed to certain content that may not be good for their consumption (Allen, 2007). The evolution of media makes it difficult to monitor the content and how to protect specific audience from certain media and content.

Academic audience research is usually responsive to public concern about the media. Some academicians see the audience as passive who attempts to measure the negative impact of the media. Under this some researchers like Bandura have found that exposure to violent images teaches children to act aggressively. Others like Gerbner have associated cultivation theory to try to demonstrate how exposure to images of violence and conflict may cultivate an attitude in the audience that the world is a violent and mean place (Ruddock, 2007).

Other academicians imagine the audience as active. This line of arguments states that audiences use media for their own subversive ends. Research that has seen the audience as passive has mainly employed quantitative methods while that visualizing the audience as active has employed qualitative methods of research. On the other hand, Mathew in his article titled “Traditional media and the new media audience” argues that it is now challenging than ever before to contain the different social formation actions of the audience within the profitable corporate pathways.

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