Week 3 (22/2): Audience

Audiences can now interact with media and participate in journalism and newsmaking. Photo: pikist.com/CC

BY RUTH BERAN

First: Five minute discussion – what have you read this week?

… and a News Quiz: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/quiz/the-squiz-quiz-19-february-2021/

Journalism has changed.

No longer are journalists communicating one way with an audience and broadcasting to the masses, audiences are now able to interact with the media and communicate back.

Take a read:

• • Journalism needs an audience to survive, but isn’t sure how to earn its loyalty
  • Two-Way Communication Is The New Journalism
  • Participatory media

Let’s look at Verity Chambers excellent blog post on The people formerly known as the audience

EXERCISE 1:

Following on from our discussion in Newsroom last week about audiences, prepare a 200-300 word report that becomes the basis for a class discussion.

Answer the following:

• • Why do journalists need to know their audiences?
  • How do journalists determine their audience? How are they analysed?
  • What demographics can be used to describe an audience?

Upload your document to your folder in STUDENT WEEKLY TASK FOLDER in Google Drive

EXERCISE 2:

Compare the top news stories for:

• Daily Mail
• smh.com.au
• The Guardian

How are these stories tailored for their audiences?

Now try creating an angle for that story that would appeal to readers of the following publications:

• • Buzzfeed News
  • Junkee