A discussion of audience surveys conducted by Pennsylvania State University, and how they can be used to set priorities for public television. (HB)

Examines the diversity of audiences to account for the different kinds of journalism, including advocacy journalism, counterculture journalism, and precision journalism. (RB)

In the 1968 political campaign, George Wallace consistently attracted auditors of diverse and highly polarized views, people who were negatively closed-minded and people who were positively closed-minded. He exploited this polarization to heighten the impact of his speaking and to rally and solidify the closed-positive auditors. For example, when…

Research explains why some television editorials are effective in altering attitudes and behavior while others are not. (RB)

There has been little valid and reliable research of the motion picture audience. Specific reasons for the movie industry's own inattention to audience research include the early popularity of films and the fact that since the industry does not sell advertising it does not need to account for its audience size and preferences. Some researchers…

One segment of a year-long descriptive field study of school writing is described in this paper. In particular, the paper examines some of the uses to which writing is put in the first weeks of school in one second/third grade classroom. In doing this, the paper speculates on the writing curriculum in elementary schools and on the realization of…

Using a critical approach to television viewing that considers the literary and rhetorical impact of the program examined, this paper analyzes an episode of the family television drama, "Little House on the Prairie." The paper examines the episode's plot, characters, themes, production techniques, sound elements, tone, method of story…

Noting that there is growing interest in systematic, ethnographic studies of mass media and their primary audiences (families), this paper seeks to encourage additional ethnographic study of audience behavior by discussing some theoretical concerns that bear on the qualitative research enterprise. To do this, the paper first introduces a variety…

This report describes the Swedish television audience and its consumption of television programming during the decade 1965-1974. The analysis is based on data gathered in approximately 100,000 interviews conducted during four time periods selected to permit comparison of audience behavior at different times before and after the introduction of the…

Because multimedia presentations are used to communicate diverse ideas, and because they employ mixtures of art forms, they have resisted systematic criticism. An attempt has been made to systematize criticism of multimedia presentations by using a variety of typologies to look at the style and structure of the presentation, its value to the…

A rhetorical work functions to produce action in the world and is controlled by the rhetorical situation which generates it. This rhetorical situation is comprised of any combination of persons, events, objects, and relations which requires rhetorical response. The three major constituents of any rhetorical situation are exigence, a condition…

This report of two audience analyses at the University of Delaware Theatre was prepared as a guide for other university theatres that may need an understanding of the people who attend their dramatic presentations. Such analyses can provide information about who is attending the theatre, how performances are evaluated, what influences audience…

Like all television programing, programs for children are aimed to produce profit. Since cartoon shows are inexpensive, they are staples of children's television. These programs can offer sponsors a pure, undifferentiated audience at which to aim commercials for toys and breakfast cereals. In addition to cartoon shows, children watch "Sesame…

Although previous research has attempted to encompass such overlapping concepts as needs, functions, motives, and gratifications obtained from mass media exposure, no serious attempt has been made to answer the question, "Why do so many people spend so much time watching television?" This project focused on obtaining motives and gratification…