Busisiwe
“Mabusana” Shibambo
Media
Research Blog
Studying
media institutions and media audience
Assignment
No2
Blog
Entry No 3 Unique No: 857075
1. INTRODUCTION
The
purpose of this blog is to study media institution and media audience. it is
important for a media student to have an in-depth knowledge on the role of
media institution and media audience. Through this blog the student will
reflect the existence and role of both institution and audience.
2.
REFLECTION
ON THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING MEDIA
INSTITUTIONS
Golding,
P et al (2000:10) states that media Institutions is an organisation that
produces and distributes media material or content. The institutions could be television
broadcasters, radio, magazines or press company such as Sunday Times, Sowetan,
Mail and guardian etcetera. Normally the
institutions are the key points of information distribution and exhibition. Media
institutions have the power to control and determine what appears in the
marketplace for example during the prime time news they are likely to play
adverts that generate more in come on their site, also the decide on what
stories to put on, on the news.
The
media institute according to Neo-Marxists and political economists they equally
endorse critiques as they serve their own interest which is profit making and
not the best interest of the society (Golding P et al 2000). The needs of the
audience are not a priority to most institution. Programs are given priority on
what they are paying. McQuail (2012:401) asserts that broadcasting made its
uncertain appearance in the twentieth century the press and film was already
established as profitable businesses.
Golding,
P et al (2000:10) concurs that media institution covers commercial functions
such as finance, distribution, exhibition and retailing, as well as production
however big media organizations tend to try and control production,
distribution, exhibition and retailing. This integrated power gives media
institution the power to cut one-sided deals with independent makers of film
and TV.
The
audience have no say on what the institution provides for them. The main aim of
the institution is profit making hence many companies that deals with media are
not only focusing on media production and distribution but they are also
involved in other businesses. However the non-profit organisations such as
Public Broadcasting Services rely on state for funding and their main aim is to
inform, educate and entertain the audience and be accountable to the public.
3.
REFLECTION
ON THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING MEDIA
AUDIENCES
Audience
is a term that is generally used to refer to a group of people or society that shares
a common interest. People can gather in a public space for specific a common
reason either to be addressed by leadership, the can gather at a stadium to
watch a soccer match, being in the stadium to attend a concert or performance
or being in a theatre to watch a movie. All these people are audience and will
be identified according to the category of the activities they will be engaging
on.
According to McQuail (2012:402) he states that audience is extended to people
who attentively listen, read and respond to media culture. One person can be
watching a television while the other is reading a book. McQuail (2012:400) claims that the theoretical
formulation of the media audience concept stemmed from a wider consideration of
the changing nature of social life in modern society.
Audience can be seen as respondents to a particular pattern of
media provision and considered as products of social context that share cultural
interest and understanding the need for information McQuail
(2012:402). Audience engage in different types of media for different reasons,
others for entertainment, while other is pass time and other for information.
Golding, P et al (2000) acknowledge that radio and
television audience have rapidly developed into an important consumer market
for hardware and software the ratings indicate that most people listened to the
radio more for information and entertainment while those who watch television
are limited to be indoors and at one place yet television is also a favourable
media tool. In respect to television McQuail reports that the media industry is
routinely transform the actual television audience into a piece of commercial
information called ratings.
4.
THE
STUDY OF MEDIA AUDIENCE
We
study media audience in order to move with speed as the media environment is
changing with speed. We need to keep up with the latest technology in order to
cater for the
audience in the right manner. Strokes concur that in the
twentieth and twenty first century
the media industries were aware of the
changes in the world trade and financial market.
Currently information is
readily available at finger tips without being verified. This raises
questions
in the future of communication and how this will impact the audiences.
In
studying media audience strokes 2003:130 asserts that the rapid change in media
industry is unprecedented and that this has influenced media research for the
past century. Due to these changes in globalisation, institutions are under pressure
to move with speed to provide quality media services that will keep the
audience loyal to them.
Strokes
(2003) notes that audience research puts human experience at the centre of enquiry
and that researching audiences for media and culture allows researchers to investigate
the social uses of the media (internet, twitter, google and many more). The research
must analyse and examine what people enjoy out of the media, what they prefer
and not prefer in order to provide the right content for the right audience.
McQuail 2012:404 argues that research can represent the voice of
the audience and speak on its behalf. Once you know who your audience are and
what they like, it’s easy for the institution to provide relevant content for
the relevant audience at the relevant time.
McQuail illustrate that history
research demonstrate a permanent competition between audience and the media
industry seeking to manage audience behaviour and people seeking to satisfy
their needs (cited by Eastman 1998).
You can be showing a program that has age
restriction of 18 years during the day therefore knowing your audience will
assist in distributing and exhibiting that right material and the right time.
The competition is high between the old media and the new technology hence the
competition for the audience is extremely high.
Mytton, G (2000) asserts that audience
research is a tool to overcome the lack of feed-back from listeners and
viewers. Furthermore research can tell a broadcaster whether people are
listening to propaganda or whether it is counterproductive. It can also tell a
producer whether the intended audience is not being reached or that they have
misunderstood the message.
Research provides details to dramatist on how well
audiences have grasped sophisticated form of audio-visual expression. The
importance of audience research has increasingly been recognized by the
electronic media in the industrialized countries.
5.
CONCLUSION
Studying
both media institution and audience provides clearly understanding on the roles
and expectation from the institution and audience. As it has been stated that
media institutions are an organisation that produces, distribute and exhibit media material content
to the target audience, the institution also focus more on profit making than
the audience’s need. Yet the institution cannot survive without the audience
hence its other role is to investigate its audience market for specific
programs.
Although audience are referred as a group of people gathered together
at the same place for a common reason. It is important to note that audience
can be identified according different category such as age, ethnic groups,
place, and language or on what channels, newspapers do they prefer or read.
Yet
at the end they are audience with common needs. It can be concluded that both
institution and audience need each other. The audience needs to be informed,
educated and entertained while the institutions needs to ensure they provide
the relevant content to the correct audience at all times.
SOURCES CONSULTED
Golding,
P & Murdock, G. 2000. Culture, communications and political economy Mass
Media and Society (3rd ed). London: Arnold
McQuail. D
2012. Mass communication theory. 6th edition. London: Sage.
Mytton, G. 2007. Handbook on radio and television audience research. (web edition)
Paris: UNICEF and UNESCO
Strokes,
J. 2003. How to do media and cultural
studies research. London: Sage
Accessed
2017/07/30
