2012 10 27_ecrea_istanbul_wyss
TRANSCRIPT
Zürcher FachhochschuleZürcher Fachhochschule
ECREA Conference 2012
1
How audience constructions guide the way journalists work
Saturday 27 October
JS 9, 10.30 - 12.00, Room A214
Vinzenz Wyss, Mirco Saner
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Zürcher Fachhochschule 2
Self-observation & Synchronization of Society
Religion
Politics
Science
Education
ArtJournalism
The public
Ecomomy Justice
schema / concepts: idea of audience
expectation of expectationsrole perceptions
facilities:Knowledge about audience
steering & controlling processes
to communicate /
to legitimate
to exert
power
rules of
signification/legitimationresources of domination
recursive process
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Inp
ut
Quality Policy
idea of the audience / audience conception
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Audience constructions as…
•citizens
•societal actors
•evaluators of journalism quality
•interpreting participants
•fans
•producers of »user generated content«
•mature consumers
•target group („coin of exchange“)
•aggregate of media contacts
(Hasebrink 2008: 526; Kiefer 2001; Siegert 1998; Karmasin 1998 ;
Bonfadelli/Meier 1996; Webster/Pahlen 1994)
5
economic
cultural
journalistic
political
Zürcher Fachhochschule 6
Methodical approach (2010)
• online survey among journalists
• document analysis
• observation
• guided interviews
10 commercial broadcast stations (188 journalists)
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Online survey
7
Our target group conception is led by audience research
The preparation of a programme is guided by the audience’s need
The audience’s point of view is one for discussion during feedbacks/reviews
We communicate the quality policy to the audience
Audience feedback is treated systematically
that’s not the case
that’s rather not the case
that’s rather the case
that’s the case
I don’t know
I have a clear target group
conception
Zürcher Fachhochschule
«I have a clear target group conception»
• conception-gap (discrepancy)- expectation vs. reality- individual vs. editorial board
• only 2 of 10 editorial teamshave a detailed target group conception
8
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Online survey
9
Our target group conception is led by audience research
The preparation of an programme is guided by the audience’s need
The audience’s point of view is one for discussion during feedbacks/reviews
We communicate the quality policy to the audience
Audience feedback is treated systematically
that’s not the case
that’s rather not the case
that’s rather the case
that’s the case
I don’t know
I have a clear target group
conception
Zürcher Fachhochschule
«Our target group conception is led by
audience research»
• all evaluated editorial teams use audience research
• 6 of 10 do communicate findings about audience research to the staff (confidential data, «frustrating effects»)
• findings hardly ever led to revised audience conceptions(2 of 10), because (quantitative) data are in some cases not convenient.
10
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Online survey
11
Our target group conception is led by audience research
The preparation of a programme is guided by the audience’s needs
The audience’s point of view is one for discussion during feedbacks/reviews
We communicate the quality policy to the audience
Audience feedback is treated systematically
that’s not the case
that’s rather not the case
that’s rather the case
that’s the case
I don’t know
I have a clear target group
conception
Zürcher Fachhochschule
„Message wish“ as a steering instrument
The listener should…
experience / understand / know / recognize etc.
why / that / if / how much etc.
the protaginist / the hero / the victim
slowly / fastly / successfully etc.
helped / decided / supported etc.
this decsion / the event / the victim etc.
altough / while / despite…etc.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
«The preparation of a programme is
guided by the audience’s use»
-vague conceptions
-primarily economical conceptions (target group, social demographics, etc.)
13
relevance
use/profit
interest
needs
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Audience constructions as…
•citizens
•societal actors
•evaluators of journalism quality
•interpreting participants
•fans
•producers of »user generated content«
•mature consumers
•target group („coin of exchange“)
•aggregate of media contacts
(Hasebrink 2008: 526; Kiefer 2001; Siegert 1998; Karmasin 1998 ;
Bonfadelli/Meier 1996; Webster/Pahlen 1994)
14
economic
cultural
journalistic
political
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Online survey
15
Our target group conception is led by audience research
The preparation of a programme is guided by the audience’s need
The audience’s point of view is one for discussion during feedbacks/reviews
We communicate the quality policy to the audience
Audience feedback is treated systematically
that’s not the case
that’s rather not the case
that’s rather the case
that’s the case
I don’t know
I have a clear target group
conception
Q policy
communicated
online: 3 of 10
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The audience’s point of view is one for discussion during feedbacks/reviews
• more implicit than explicit («that’s what the audience is interested in»)
• representatives of the audience are hardly ever invited to editorial feedbacks / reviews
the audience point of view is not institutionalised
16
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Online survey
17
Our target group conception is led by audience research
The preparation of a programme is guided by the audience’s need
The audience’s point of view is one for discussion during feedbacks/reviews
We communicate the quality policy to the audience
Audience feedback is treated systematically
that’s not the case
that’s rather not the case
that’s rather the case
that’s the case
I don’t know
I have a clear target group
conception
Q policy
communicated
online: 3 of 10
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Online survey
18
Our target group conception is led by audience research
The preparation of a programme is guided by the audience’s need
The audience’s point of view is one for discussion during feedbacks/reviews
We communicate the quality policy to the audience
Audience feedback is treated systematically
that’s not the case
that’s rather not the case
that’s rather the case
that’s the case
I don’t know
I have a clear target group
conception
„matter for the boss“
(3x) / no systematic
treatment (10 of 10)
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Conclusion
• from an empirical point of view:
hardly explicit and discursive audience conceptions(vague, diffuse)
• from a theoretical point of view:
Risk: references do not belong to the journalism system (domination of economical references)
•from a practical point of view:missed opportunities concerning a consciously editorial quality management system
19