Audience Research - Internet forums

Participation in Internet forums: -

Forums are discussions on a particular theme or thread. At any moment a thread can branch into any number of other threads, with each thread being made up of a number of contributions from users or readers, the contribution usually consists of a single paragraph, with the length varying.

The contents page of a threaded discussion looks like an outline, with each comment being listed being represented by a one line summary, showing the topic and the user name of the commenter. clicking on the summary line will reveal the entire contents/history of the comment, with links to any previous and subsequent comments, any reader can respond to either a specific comment or a group of comments.

Web forums can help researchers add audience study to a textual or institutional analysis, which would allow them to expand their understanding of how a show or phenomenon, and increase the number of voices heard. Internet research simultaneously introduces new limitations, as researchers must be aware of who has the access, time and knowledge to participate in Internet forums, especially when the research focuses on TV viewers.

Audience Research - Panels

The definition of a audience panel is a situation in which a group of people are gathered together to discuss an issue, often to provide feedback on something, to brainstorm solutions to a problem or to discuss an issue of public concern in front of an audience. 

http://www.tvneedsyou.co.uk/

Broadcasters need to understand who is watching their programmes and advertisers need to know where to place their advertising. To do this they must know how many people of different types watch each programme. The information is used by broadcasters to help them better understand their audience. It provides a clear picture of who is and who is not watching different programmes. This helps programme makers to decide what to put on at different times of the day and week. Audience figures are also used by the advertising industry to help them decide where to place commercials, accurate viewing figures for programmes are vital in understanding how people watch television on different channels and across different devices.

Audience Research - Focus Groups

Focus groups is an effective research method, using focus groups is an qualitative research method. Producers of media content may use focus groups to learn about different peoples reactions to their ideas for their media products. Focus groups usually consists of a moderated discussion, involving usually 5 - 10 participants depending on the size and audience of the products, the participants who are drawn form the target audience are usually a highly targeted segment. Through the focus group, media producers can learn about different users attitudes, beliefs, desires and reactions to the ideas and concepts for the proposed products. Using focus groups can be also a useful way to get feedback on any prototypes or near completed products.

Qualitative research: Responses to Advertising Campaigns

Responses to Advertising Campaigns: -

Responses to advertising is away in which the public who watches these adverts have a way of voicing their opinion about adverts that they have watched and might be displeased with, not many adverts gain much notice when it comes to feed back and most that do receive feed back are those who haven't done something right, because of this there are some adverts which displease the public so much that they are banned in certain places or countries. when watching some adverts that have been banned it is easy to see why but with some the reasons are uncanny and irrelevant but despite this the companies that made the adverts have to please their audience and remove the ads.

One advertising campaign that has recently come 'under fire' from the public is Sainsbury's supermarket Christmas advert which depicts the 1914 Christmas Truce between England and Germany. The subject of the Great War and WWII has always been a sensitive subject bringing back memories of those fought and gave their lives, people from all over are being 'outraged' about the advert calling it a desperate plea for more costumers, this adverts has brought about a debate about whether it is appropriate to for corporations to use sensitive national history for commercial use.

Original news article

Qualitative research: Attitudes to Media Products

Attitudes to Media Products: -

Attitudes towards media products are a way for general costumers to express how they feel about their purchase, theses costumers can be sharing the opinion on any kind of media products from a new phone to a new video game. Many gamers that wish to share their opinion post on forums so that other gamers can interact and also give their opinions or advice to the original post. A major mainstream game that was created in 2004 by games company Blizzard Entertainment is World of Warcraft (WoW), many gamers have different opinions on the game as it has seen much attention since its release and is continuing to grow and be updated, therefore many of its players have different and clashing attitudes towards it.

An example of an attitude to media products - World of Warcraft Forums

Qualitative research: Responses to News Coverage

Responses to News Coverage: - 

Responses to news coverage is a way of people expressing their opinion to the news publishers of news papers or producers of news shows about either the news paper in general or specific news articles as well as news shows in general or or particular news stories. The responses can either just be an expressive opinion on the matter or a professional who disagrees due to the field of work they are in, but not all responses are negative as they could just be politically correcting something about the article or story in a helpful ways as the response could be from a fan of the news show or paper. Responses to news coverage are important as they can show that not all news coverage is completely true and that not all shocking news discoveries may be complete fact.

One major response to a news coverage is on a news story in the daily mail news paper published in 2011 about the costs of medication for terminal cancer patients as the medication is too expensive for the amount that is does for the patients, but a Pharmaceutical company named the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) disagreed with the news story completely so they gave a professional response underlining the statements that were false and giving valid arguments regarding what was stated.

Original News Story: - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2042172/Dont-terminal-cancer-patients-drugs-just-prolong-lives-say-experts.html

Response to News Story: - http://www.abpi.org.uk/media-centre/newsreleases/2011/Pages/280911.aspx

Qulitative research: Fanzine Websites

Fanzine Websites: -

Fanzines are magazines written for and by people that are fans of a certain subject like a pop artist or a football team, fanzines are of late being set up as website allowing more people to find and access their fanzines, it also makes it easier for the creator(s) of fanzines to monitor the happenings of their fanzine and possibly get other fans to work with them to improve their fanzine.

Here is an example of a football fanzine based on the Liverpool football team;

 Here is an example of a fanzine on a music artist, Jonny Cash;