Do You Hear The People [Sing]

This week we explored what an audience is and why audiences are important.

We discussed who audiences could benefit, so the stakeholders:

• Advertisers
• Commercial Broadcast
• Cable Networks
• Production Houses
• Program makers
• Government Policy Makers
• Social Scientists & Psychologists
• Cultural Theorists & Media Scholars

We then learnt about the difference between traditional broadcast media and post-broadcast era, finding out that the post-broadcast era is only still very young being around for 10 years. The major difference between the two is the way they approach audiences when sending messages or producing content. For the early broadcast era they didn’t see consumers as individuals, but as a mass to be advertised to and not communicated with. Post-broadcast has come to a place where they break down their audience and understand that they aren’t the ones in control. Digitization has blurred the lines between who is a media creator and who is a consumer. To become a producer you no longer require a contract with television networks and corporations. All you need is a camera and an internet connection, and because of the internet audiences are able to pick and choose what they want to see. This new digital post-broadcast era has exemplified the Uses and Gratifications theory of media consumption, with audience being in charge of what they are exposed to. The individual audience member now is seen as independent, unique and an individual. They interpolate and interpret media however they please, and we as media practitioners have to adjust.