Challenges in Audience Research in New Media

Read the passage below, and answer the questions that follow based on your understanding of the passage:

Undoubtedly, the new media pose some interesting challenges to audience research in relation to both reception and use. First they facilitate the multiplication of personally – owned media (from mobile phones to the television set), thereby encouraging the privatization of media use, including the media – rich bedroom culture of young people and the sound bubble of the Walkman commuter.  Further, the diversification of media and media contents is facilitating wider trends towards individualization, in which media goods and contents are used to construct lifestyles no longer grounded on socio demographically – defined traditions. More recently, the convergence of traditionally distinct media is resulting in a blurring of traditionally distinct social boundaries (“edutainment” “infotainment”, teleworking, e-learning), potentially undermining hierarchies’ tieracties of expertise and authority.

Most significantly, however, new media technologies hold the possibility of expansion of interactive forms of media and the resulting potential for transforming a one-mass audience into engaged and participatory users of information and communication technologies. From the literature non emerging, it seems that these first three challenges are already being researched, particularly insofar as these concern changing discourses and practices of media use. But as for the fourth, we have barely begun to investigate the intellectual, symbolic and social contexts for and consequences of engaging with the particular forms and contents of the new media. Some preliminary observations may be observed.

Q1. Audience research related to reception and used is an interesting challenge in the case of: 

(A) Print

(B) Radio

(C) New Media

(D) Television

Correct Ans: (C)

Explanation:

The passage discusses the impact of new media on audience research, emphasizing how it presents unique challenges related to both reception and use. Unlike traditional media, new media encompasses a range of diverse platforms that have created more personal and interactive ways of consuming content. This shift in consumption patterns complicates traditional audience research methods, as the audience is now more fragmented and individualized. Consequently, the challenges of audience research are most evident in the context of new media, where these complex patterns of use and reception are most pronounced.

Q2. Privatization of media use is the result of multiplication of media gadgets lihe: 

(A) community radio

(B) magazines

(C) Mobile phones

(D) earphones

Correct Ans: (C)

Explanation:

The passage highlights how the proliferation of personally owned devices, such as mobile phones and earphones, has led to the privatization of media use. People now have more access to media in personal spaces like their bedrooms, making it easier to consume media individually rather than in shared spaces. This trend is particularly visible in younger audiences who are increasingly engaged in private media consumption through devices like mobile phones, where they control what, when, and how they engage with content. As a result, the answer is Mobile Phones, as they are a primary contributor to this shift.

Q3. Individualization of media goods and contents lead to: 

(A) new media habits

(B) new trends

(C) demographics

(D) new lifestyles

Correct Ans: (D)

Explanation:

In the passage, the concept of individualization is closely tied to how media is no longer just about fulfilling collective needs or demographic categories. With the rise of new media, individuals can tailor their media consumption to reflect their personal preferences, interests, and lifestyles. This process of personalizing media choices helps people construct their own identities, unbound from the traditional socio-demographic frameworks. The correct answer is New Lifestyles because media is increasingly being used to create individualized and personalized ways of living, whether through content choices or social media engagement.

Q4. New media technologies will make possible the transformation of audience.

(A) technological

(B) educated

(C) confirmative

(D) participatory

Correct Ans: (D)

Explanation:

The passage mentions that new media technologies have the potential to fundamentally shift how audiences engage with content. Unlike traditional passive consumption, new media empowers individuals to become participatory users, allowing them to interact with, influence, and create content themselves. This transformation is crucial in redefining the role of the audience in media consumption. It’s no longer just about receiving information passively but becoming an active participant in the media environment. Thus, the correct answer is Participatory, reflecting the active role audiences will play in the future.

Q5. The fourth area of challenge in media research is: 

(A) tele – working

(B) e – learning

(C) personal media

(D) tele – commuting

Correct Ans: (C)

Explanation:

The passage suggests that while significant research has been conducted on challenges related to privatization, individualization, and the convergence of media, the fourth area remains relatively underexplored. This challenge pertains to the personalization of media, particularly how audiences engage with media that is specifically tailored to their needs, preferences, and contexts. This leads to questions about how individuals interact with and make sense of media that caters specifically to them. This is the fourth challenge in research, which remains an emerging area of study, so the answer is Personal Media.

Nivisha Kapoor- Author
Nivisha Kapoor

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