Abstract
As a person who teaches an undergraduate course in Audience Analysis, I have always been torn when it comes to selecting a general textbook. For example, there are many books that go into the complexity of statistical analysis of audience measurement. They are fine books, but I find that undergraduates do not want to read much of anything anymore, never mind forty pages of dry history of the big research firms. On the other hand, there are plenty of books with a cultural studies approach that delve deeply into the work of Stuart Hall and Henry Jenkins. Those books are fine too, but my course is for undergrads that want to go into media management and roll their eyes at academic pursuits. Not that my textbook selection woes are much of anyone’s concern, but I am happy to say that I was delighted when I came across John Sullivan’s Media Audiences. His book spoke to me, as he constructed it based on his ten years of teaching a similar course and piecing together journal articles, disparate book chapters, and out-of-print works.
It is a classic textbook. It is a simple read that introduces students to the concepts and the vocabulary of audience studies. The book is divided into four sections. Chapter 1 outlines the “History and Concept of the Audience” from public performances in the Greek and Roman period to the mass audiences of the twenty-first century. Chapter 2 of the book examines “Effects of Media Messages” and highlights the classic social science studies. Chapters 3 to 4 examine audiences from the industry’s perspective from public opinion polling, media ratings, and target marketing. Chapters 5 to 7 examine audiences as active users with chapters on uses and gratifications, media rituals, and reception studies. Finally, chapters 8 to 10 examine the digital age of audiences through chapters on fan studies and interactive audiences online.
There are some shortcomings to the book. Despite its chapter on media effects, the book is very limited on media psychology. For example, the book does not cover the emerging area of media and morality. The book also does not cover recent changes in reception analysis including Michelle (2006) Four Modes of Audience Engagement. 1 Another critique of the book is that it is only nine chapters (when you remove the introduction), which is a tough fit into a common fifteen-week semester. Also, section one has only one chapter (which is chapter 2), leading one to question why it is a section onto itself. Finally, the book covers little of the new audience metrics (such as second screen or social TV) that are being implemented, though it may be difficult for the author to cover such subjects when the industry doesn’t even understand it.
The book is a primer. It does not delve too deeply into any one subject; thus, it is able to cover many subjects in the evolving field of audience studies. So, if adopted, it should be supplemented with other readings. But it does give a great introduction to the field, especially to students who have not been introduced to diverse subjects such as uses and gratifications, industry ratings, and polysemic texts. I believe it is a great main text for any course that deals with audiences, and it gives students grounding before they are thrown into the statistical complexity of ratings of the more rigorous readings of Hall and Jenkins.