Researching Media Audiences 2013 Lecture 1

Researching Media Audiences 2013Lecture 1

Good Afternoon This is a level 3 unit, worth 10 credit points. You must have completed the level 1 and level 2 core units to be here. This is not Communication Research! If you have questions, contact Ray Archee r.archee@uws.edu.auRoom BB1 22 Phone 0413 149-824 I am available Mon and Tue. Please make an appointment by telephone or email. Thu tutor: Colin Dawson c.dawson@uws.edu.au

Delivery and Attendance There is one weekly lecture There is one weekly tutorial (starting Week 2) You are expected to attend both lectures and tutorials. If you cannot attend a tutorial, contact me and provide a medical certificate or other documentation.

Textbooks Sullivan, J.L. (2013). Media Audiences: Effects, Users, Institutions, and Power. Sage: UK . Ross, K. and Nightingale, V. (2003). Media and Audiences: New Perspectives.Open University Press, McGraw Hill: Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK. Nightingale, V. and Ross, K. (eds) (2003). Critical Readings: Media and Audiences. Open University Press, McGraw Hill: Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK. Unavailable except from Amazon.com and UWS Library. The Library online databases are very useful.

OH&S Requirements The University OH&S policy: It is the responsibility of employees, students, contractors, visitors and others to regard accident prevention and safe working as a collective and individual responsibility.

Improvements UWS uses student feedback surveys to improve educational programs. We have: Added a more recent textbook Linked the lectures more closely to the program Linked the exam more closely to the lectures.

What we will do in this unit We will look at the changing nature of audiences and publics. We will discuss Australia’s regulatory framework for media. We will review mechanisms for evaluating audiences. We will discuss fandom and its influence. We will consider new ways of thinking about the audience.

What is audience research? The definition varies according to context: As a TV executive: “measuring the numbers of people watching particular TV programs” As an advertising exec: “what part of the market is watching what channel at what time of the day?” As a writer: “what does my readership need to know to get the job done?” As an academic: “how can we understand the audience of a variety of media, from a range of perspectives and how can we describe their habits?”

Anecdote: The Wood Show Yesterday I attended the Working with Wood show at Olympic Park. I drove and followed the signs to the P1 parking lot. As soon as I parked I was lost. No signage from the Exit, no directions, nothing. There was no organisational consideration of the audience or client. No planning, no real understanding of the experience of getting lost in Olympic Park. There was no audience research, which looked at parking. Any other examples from the audience in front of me?

Another example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U219eUIZ7Qo The Grim Reaper ads from 1987 have created a lot of controversy since that time: Increase in IV drug users who were tested, but not high risk group No increase in homosexual males being tested Decrease in bowling alley attendance! Possible reason for gay bashings and homicides through audience identifying grim reaper with gay male What was the audience analysis of the adverts?

YouTube is useful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFCLKa0XRlw (Henry Jenkins lecture) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ-L58oMhmQ (What makes a good horror movie) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U2Dbg_UEYc (Audience as producer)

Media Audiences We will be studying: The diverse nature of media audience formations The theories and research methods used to investigate them Note: The majority of methods are survey methods

What is an audience? If we are to research media audiences we should find out what they are and what they are not. So here is a survey for you to consider:

Are these people audiences? A family in front of a TV set? A bunch of people in a cinema? A group at the Opera House? A crowd at a football match? Maybe. And maybe not.

According to many theorists: An audience is not just a group of people watching or listening to a performance.

To be an audience people must ‘manifest interest, support, or enthusiasm’. An audience will engage with whatever is happening. The people at a bus stop are only an audience when a bus comes. “Is this my bus?”

If I go to a railway station, and somebody makes an announcement on the public address system, are all the people on the platform an audience? Some are, but not all of them. To be an audience, they listen to the announcement and then respond to it. Not all do.

If I go to a beach, and some people are surfing, and others are playing cricket, and some are playing beach volleyball, am I an audience? That depends on how I respond.

So… Are these audiences? A family in front of a TV set? A bunch of people at a cinema? A group at the Opera House? A crowd at a football match?

How many are asleep? How many are on Facebook? How many are playing computer games? How many are really in the audience?How do we find out?

There is a difference between the actual audience and the potential audience and it is often difficult to tell how many of each we have.

Use of numbers? We can easily count the number of times an advertisement is displayed on a web page in a particular session. We can easily count how many times a web user clicks on a web advertisement.

Audience research Recall can be an issue. Some researchers say that whereas we can recall many of the ads we see on TV, we recall almost none of the ads we see on a web page.

Does it matter? If we are to spend money advertising on TV or radio, we want to know how many people will be exposed to our advertisements. The bigger the audience, the higher the price of advertising. There is an issue with the value we get for our money.

Media Research We will look at the strengths and weaknesses of various Media Research practices.

Workload 10 hours per week. And just in case you haven’t seen this ...

Plan Your Week There are 168 hours in a week. If you are doing four units, that’s 40 hours.You will spend 14 hours eating. You will probably spend 16 hours in a part-time job. You will spend 12 hours travelling.You will spend 56 hours in bed.

Planning (cont). You have spent 138 of your 168 hours. You have only 30 hours left – 4 hours and 17 minutes a day. And you haven’t had a shower, or hugged your mum or walked your dog. If you want time for bars and beaches, plan your time carefully.

Three Assessments Essay of 2500 – 3000 words (40%) Tutorial Presentation (30%) In-class exam (30%) To pass this unit you must attempt all three assessments and gain a combined overall mark of 50% or more.

Assessments The essay and the presentation are due in class unless your tutor tells you otherwise. Your essay will be returned after it has been marked. Late assessments without approval or extension will be penalised 10% per day.

Special Consideration Special Consideration may be applied if you have extenuating circumstances. The application form is on the UWS website. Special consideration may apply to a single assessment or an extended period. Talk to us. Fill in the form.

Essay There is a set of questions in the Learning Guide. Select one of the questions and write your essay as an answer to the question. No fewer than 2500 words, no more than 3000 words.

Essay question topics Are fans the pioneers of cyber culture? Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of ethnographic research. Explain developments in media effects research. Are audiences sub-cultures or producers?

Tutorial Presentation Offer a 10 minute presentation, in class, based on the detail from the readings for that week. Also lead a small group discussion on your topic. There may be two or three presentations per tutorial.

In-class Exam – Week 14 A number of questions. You must come to class on time to attempt the exam. You may consult lecture notes or readings, but no Internet. You have 50 minutes to complete the test.

Researching Media Audiences 2013 Lecture 1