Convergence culture: Theoretical and methodological challenges for audience studies

Mikos, L. (2011). Convergence culture: Theoretical and methodological challenges for audience studies . Zagreb conference: "New challenges and methodological innovations in European media audience research". 7-9 April 2011.

Abstract: Since the 1990s of the 20 century a “convergence culture” (Jenkins 2006) has emerged. The media landscape has seen a development to convergence regarding technology, economy, content and aesthetics. This process was massively influenced by digitalization. The role of singular media like film and television as we know it has changed. The status of media texts is in question as well as the concept of audience. The paper will deal with theoretical and methodological challenges of this radical change. The notion of audiences is in question. In their book “Audiences” Abercrombie & Longhurst (1998) have stated, that there are “new complex patterns of interaction which characterize the contemporary audience.” This is especially true in the age of digitalization and convergence culture. Even if audience is “best understood as a category rather than as a way of being” (Casey et.al. 2002) it is difficult to define if audience is a category of specific texts, of specific media or of specific actions in everyday life. In general audiences may share some consumption practices (i.e. fans, Sandvoss 2005) and are part of spaces of consumption in convergent media environments. But what is the object of (media) consumption in convergence culture? A single, discrete text or a complex web of textual fragments? How can we capture this texts or fragments for analysis? When we follow Nick Couldry (2000) who has defined text as “a complex of interrelated meanings which its readers tend to interpret as a discrete, unified whole”, we need to fix these interrelated meanings in audience studies. But how do we fix chats, forum discussions etc, when they are fleeting? The paper will discuss methodological challenges of audience research. Based on ownempirical research I will outline some prospects of dealing with these methodologicalchallenges for future research and discuss some methodological innovations.