Media Audiences in the Digital Age

The course deals with theoretical perspectives on media audiences with an emphasis on the transition from analogue to networked digital media. The focus is on the interplay between the technical development of audience measurement and the re-conceptualisation of audiences as engaged and interacting users. Furthermore, novel approaches to audience measurement in data analysis are discussed, including spatial aspects and locative media. During the course, concepts such as collaborative media, participatory culture, and convergence are introduced and contrasted with theories dealing with audiences and the public sphere from different perspectives. Instruction is in the form of lectures, seminars, and individual/group assignments.