Media Audience Research - Case Study Example

1. Executive Summary Media audience research can be described as a methodical and precise way of finding out about its audience. Here media can be radio, Tele Vision (TV), newspapers, magazines, arts companies, and orchestras - any faction that converses with the public in general or particular. Audience research technique can be functional for any activity with audiences: not only radio or television, but also print media, creative activities, and latest one, the internet. This assignment endeavours to carry out an evolutionary and comparative study of two media audience research case studies. It will highlight the objectives, stakeholders in the study, methodology adapted, outcome and scope of further researched based on them. 2. Media audience research 2.1. Depiction of violence on terrestrial television 2.1.1. Objective This study is a content analysis and it aims at observing changing level of violence on terrestrial television. Like any other audience research project, this study also tries to answer some general questions regarding the reasons for being carried out. The entertainment dramas shown on TV are not just entertainment; rather they have serious effects on the viewer. This becomes more serious as TV is considered to be a Family entertainment media. 2.1.2. Audience research commissioning and conducting agency This content analysis had been undertaken by Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) in conjunction with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Independent Television Commission (ITC). a) The Broadcasting Standards Commission was the statutory body for both standards and fairness in broadcasting. It was the only organisation within the regulatory framework of UK broadcasting to cover all television and radio, both terrestrial and satellite. This included text, cable and digital services1. The BSC has ceased to exist from 18 December 2003 and its duties have been assumed by Ofcom, the Office of Communications. b) The British Broadcasting Corporation is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world. It is a public service broadcaster, established by a Royal Charter, UK and funded by the licence fee that is paid by UK households. The BBC uses the income from the licence fee to provide services including 8 national TV channels plus regional programming, 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio stations and an extensive website, bbc.co.uk2 c) Independent Television Commission was a public body responsible for licensing and regulating commercial television services in the UK, including ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, as well as Tele-text and a number of cable and satellite services. Its duties included implementing a code of practice, ensuring adequate quality of services, reporting on complaints, and ensuring competition. It was funded by payments from its licensees. Members of the Commission were appointed by the government3. The ITC has ceased to exist from 18 December 2003 and its duties have been assumed by Ofcom, the Office of Communications. 2.1.3. Time when research was conducted This content analysis monitors the pattern across the four terrestrial channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4) plus a selection of satellite channels. This audience media audience research examines the pattern for a selected period in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 (The sample was collected over two composite weeks, between 30 March to 05 May 2001 and 08 September to 26 October 2001 and ran from 1730 hrs to 0000hrs)4. September 11 2001 has a special effect on the depiction of violence as far as the data from 2001 is concerned. Moreover the violence in Bosnia had also some relevance over increased depiction of Violence on TV. 2.1.4. Research a) Target audience: Parents, General audience, Professionals (Psychologists etc.), Government officials, academics, journalists, Jr. high school and sr. high school youth, young adults, educators, and prevention professionals. b) Research techniques: This quantitative content has been done through two techniques. First one is survey, asking people, which programs or stations they listened to, at which times, on which days etc. Another one is through meters attached to TV sets. This meter recorded the stations which the TV set was tuned to, at given times, on given days. c) Research Design: This research in fact tries to find out different attribute and dimensions on a quantifiable basis. It covers: i. Type of violence ii. Proportion of programmes containing violence iii. Context in which violence occurred iv. Reasons for violence v. Country of origin vi. Channel difference in depiction of violence 2.1.5. Research Outcome a) Monitoring of violence across two weeks of prime time programming has shown a substantial increase in the number of incidents portrayed in 1999 - 2001 compared to 1997 and 1998, due largely to coverage in news and related programmes of violence in Bosnia and following September 115. b) News constituted almost a quarter of all violence monitored in 2001, with the events of September 11 and the related aftermath impacting on the figures. The snapshot taken of violence on television in this sample shows therefore: i. A high incidence of violence in the news ii. More depiction of property damage iii. More violence contextualised by terrorism iv. More violence motivated by ideals or beliefs or religion c) USA programmes (primarily film) continue to portray more scenes of violence than UK productions, but the 2001 sample showed the gap is narrowing5. d) Where fiction shows scenes of violence, these have tended to depict more realistic violence5. e) Reflecting the samples capture of the events around September 11, there has been an increase in violence contextualised by crime across a wide variety of programme genres, and in scenes contextualised by terrorism5. 2.1.6. Scope of future study This content analysis has a major impact on the further scope of research study that can be taken by professionals like psychologists and academicians to study the impact of violence on children and general audience. Moreover Government can initiate a prevention plan based on this research which can regulate the content and the schedule of the broadcast in benefit of the viewers. Also this study can lead to analysis which can depict the correlation between the current affairs and the content broadcasted on the TV and other media. 2.2. Assessing the media literacy of UK adults 2.2.1. Objective This research study was a part of the endeavour of UK Government to: a) Promote media literacy among the population of the UK b) Improve public awareness c) Have an idea of contents and services provided through electronic media But before that it is needed to establish the existing and prevalent level of media literacy among the UK population. Then only any kind of benchmark can be set and the initiatives can be designed accordingly. 2.2.2. Audience research commissioning and conducting agency This research had been undertaken by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), UK, in conjunction with the Office of Communications (Ofcom) UK. a) DCMS is responsible for Government policy on the arts, sport, the National Lottery, tourism, libraries, museums and galleries, broadcasting, creative industries including film and the music industry, press freedom and regulation, licensing, gambling and the historic environment. It is the Department responsible for 2012 Olympic Games & Paralympics Games6. b) Ofcom is an independent organisation which regulates the UK’s broadcasting, telecommunications and wireless communications sectors. It also sets and enforces rules on fair competition between companies in these industries7. 2.2.3. Time when research was conducted Since this research was an initiating part of The Government’s 2002 Communications Bill, it was conducted in 2002. This research also became important as, during autumn 2003, Ofcom independently was replacing 5 different. And the onus of improving media literacy in UK was on Ofcom through The Government’s 2002 Communications Bill. Thus it can be said that this study was crucial as far as the socio-economic impact of media on population as a whole is concerned. 2.2.4. Research a) Target audience: General audience, Government officials, Academicians, journalists and Media houses. b) Research techniques: There had been a very little empirical research done on the media awareness in UK. This qualitative research thus took help of literature review. Hence, this study banks on varied sources which indirectly divulged the temperament and degree of adult media literacy. These sources largely were audiovisual media and computer-based media/internet. c) Research Design: The research found following attributes which made the part of adult media literacy: i. Technical competencies ii. Critical reception practices iii. Content production 2.2.5. Research Outcome a) Technical competencies8 i. Audiovisual media: The skill is incrementally acquired as innovations penetrates into the mass media. ii. Information and communication technologies: The level of prevalent skill varies across the population. The grip of technology is also varying and most of the people is making use of only a small proportion of the contents and services available online. b) Critical reception practices8 i. Audiovisual media: The research shows a composite perceptive with varying degree of television genres, of the fact/fiction distinction and of the place of commercial messages. But as far as the grip of the economic and regulatory matters is concerned, the public seems much less capable of figuring out or assessing critically. ii. Information and communication technologies: The research reveals that people keep on under-using or miss-using internet content. Thus immediate intervention is needed. c) Content production8 i. Audiovisual media: According to the study it seems very unlikely that many adults have experience of content production. ii. An information and communication technology According to the study it seems very unlikely that many adults possesses the skills of content production. Moreover mostly seems unaware that such production is even possible. 2.2.6. Scope of future study This report gives us a crude idea of media literacy levels in UK. Now building upon this report, a proper content and associated technology need to be outlined by media groups, government agencies and other stakeholders. This should be accompanied by a proper timeline and deadlines. There is further scope of researching more appropriate and effective methodology which can be used in making people more media savvy as far as technical competencies, critical reception and content production is required. 3. References 1. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/bsc/plain/about.htm, 19Th Feb 2009, 1900 Hrs (GMT). 2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/purpose/what.shtml, 19Th Feb 2009, 1900 Hrs (GMT). 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Television_Commission, 19Th Feb 2009, 1900 Hrs (GMT). 4. Briefing update, Depiction of violence on terrestrial television, Broadcasting Standards Commission 2002. Page 4. 5. Monitoring Report 7; Broadcasting Standards Commission, 2002, Page 4. 6. http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_us/default.aspx, 20th Feb 2009, 0100 Hrs (GMT). 7. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumeradvice/guide/, 20th Feb 2009, 0100 Hrs (GMT). 8. A review of the academic literature, By Sonia Livingstone, with Nancy Thumim March 2003, The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), Page 1& 2 Read More