In the past five years, the television audience has become a popular topic for media researchers. These three books make a substantial contribution to this research area. The theme of recent studies is that television audiences are not passive 'couch potatoes' inclined to 'vege out' in front of the box. Rather, they are active and discerning spectators.
Audience research has a long history.
It was sparked by the development of popular media - popular literature, newspapers, cinema and cartoons. Mass cultural forms were seen as powerful and detrimental to desirable forms of 'cultivation'. Most research was organised to prove that the media have effects on attitudes and behaviour of consumers. Despite the amount of research, little evidence has been mobilised to support this proposition. At best, media messages may reinforce existing views or trigger pre-existing tendencies.