13. Conceptualizing Audiences in Convergent Media Environments

The way how media companies and their research agencies have conceptualized audiences is challenged by the process of convergence. Starting with a look back to the characteristics of audience measurement the chapter proposes two approaches that can help to manage these challenges. Firstly it is argued that today’s media environments require a repertoire-oriented research perspective, which investigates how media users combine different kinds of media and different kinds of content and create their personal repertoire. Secondly, against the background of the eroding link between certain media devices and the respective user practices, the concept of communication modes is introduced; it refers to the users’ definition of what he or she is actually doing with the media. Both approaches are illustrated by recent empirical studies.