By Garland-Waide Bradford
The media landscape has been changing for more than a hundred years. The inception of radio and silent film at the end of the 19th century created a new realm of communication (Lesame, Mbatha & Sindane 2012: 2). If you have considered that for the first time media was accessible almost globally. The barrier to access was low, for radio you didn’t have to be able to read to understand the information (Lesame, Mbatha & Sindane 2012: 2).
It also gave birth to the media company. It also meant that organisations could make use of cultural products like drama, comedy, storytelling and the like, as a means to generate a profit using the media radio and film (Lesame, Mbatha & Sindane 2012: 2). Understanding how mass media worked also created a need within academia to study the phenomenon, its role within communities and how it would influence these communities.
The thirty years or more the media landscape has changed dramatically (Lesame, Mbatha & Sindane 2012: 3). To be able understand these changes the research has to be able to look at the changes from both an institution point of view as well from how audiences are a part of these changes.
Media Institutions
The role of media institutions is usually split into two camps (Stokes 2003: 75). One side you have the practice or business of media and on the other you have the academic pursuit to understand the phenomenon. These two sides have been known for not always getting along. However, both are important to the way in which the media functions (Stokes 2003: 75).
This makes it more difficult to define a media institution. One way of looking at it is as an organisation that disseminates cultural products for profit or studies these products and the way in which they are disseminated (Stokes 2003: 75). But, what is culture and what are these products. These are determined by the institution that makes use of each. Not an easy way to try to explain it.
The roles of each is also dependant on what type of cultural product they make use of. What does that mean? A radio station will focus on radio. A newspaper will focus on the printed word. However, both companies can be part of a larger parent company. It muddies the water a little, but it starts taking us in a direction of what they are (Stokes 2003: 75).
These organisations make use of media that can reach hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people. It would be dismissive to merely say that the media does not influence people’s lives or their images of themselves (Stokes 2003: 76).
A focus on race would be helpful to understand how these institutions can have an impact on groups of people as well as one group’s impression of another group. Through studying media institutions an academic institution can more accurately describe how, why, and the conditions under which this influence takes place(Stokes 2003: 79).
Understanding how a media institution is constructed also helps understand how decisions are made, and what the repercussions could be. With the rise of electronic digital media and digital media companies the landscape of how people consume media products has changed. It also means that they in which a media institution interacts with an audience has also changed (Lesame, Mbatha & Sindane 2012: 29).
Media institutions play an important role in the lives of a society. Their make up looks different in every country (Stokes 2003: 75). They are also subject to laws and rules that shape them. In turn they shape the lives of the individuals who consume their products.
Media Audiences
Semiotics studies the meaning behind the signs and symbols that communicate meaning. This is what media institutions use to communicate to audiences and also study (Mytton 1999: 10). As indicated above the media has a way to influence how we perceive the world.
Studying an audience doesn’t just focus on how the media has an impact on a community. It also looks at how people prefer to consume media (Mytton 1999: 14). This is important in understanding the motivations behind why people consume media and the way they prefer to do so. The explosion of smart devices has made it possible for people to consume media on the go. This changes the dynamic which exists between audiences and the media institutions.
Without an audience a media institution may have to close its doors. Understanding the habits of an audience allows a media organisation adapt its strategy. This is a business pursuit (Mytton 1999: 18). The academic pursuit would be to investigate the nature and dynamic behind an audience.
The relationship between media institutions and the audience is interdependent (Mytton 1999: 18). Many have come to rely on media organisations for the information they consume. It also has had a great impact on communities. Understanding an audience helps a media company plan the type of media an audience would like to consume (Mytton 1999: 18).
Sources Consulted
Holt, J & Perren, A. 2008. The media industries: history, theory, and method. Oxford: Wiley- Blackwell.
Lesame, Z, Mbatha, B & Sindane, S. 2012. New media in the information society. Pretoria: Vn Schaik
Mytton, G. 2007. Handbook on radio and television audience research. (Web edition). Paris: UNICEF and UNESCO.
Stokes, J. 2003. How to do media and cultural studies research. London: Sage.
University of South Africa. Department of Communication Science. 2016. CMNHONE
University of South Africa. Department of Communication Science. 2016. Media research: Tutorial letter101/0/2016 for COM4802.
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