MEDIA STUDIES: MEDIA CONTENT AND MEDIA AUDIENCE

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

Assignment has to include:

• table of contents
The table of contents corresponds with the numbering, headings and sub-headings in the theme.
• contents of your assignment
• self-assessment and self-reflection
The self-assessment and self-reflection comprise one page in which you have to answer the following questions:
1 What have you learnt (what knowledge have you gained) by doing the assignment/examination portfolio task?
2 What skills, abilities and orientations (attitudes and values) have you accomplished?
3 What strengths could you apply in your future life and work environment?
4 What shortcomings do you need to address in future?
5 To what extent have you achieved the learning outcomes formulated for each study unit? (List the learning outcomes that you have achieved for the selected assignment/examination portfolio. No marks are awarded if these are not listed.)
• list of all the sources consulted
All sources consulted are cited in the list of sources consulted, including newspapers, magazines, policy documents, tutorial letters, study guide, prescribed book and people consulted.
• reference:
do as much references in the assignment to the sources consulted as possible (1-2 per paragraph) with the relevant page numbers on the source.

In order to complete assignment you need to study the following

• In the prescribed book: Fourie, PJ (ed.). 2009. Media studies: media content and media audiences. Volume 3. Landsdowne, Cape Town: Juta
Chapter 1: Quantitative content analysis
Chapter 9 Media audience theory
Chapter 10: Questionnaire surveys in media research

• In the study guide: (provided as an attachment)
Study unit 1: Quantitative content analysis
Study unit 9: Media audience theory
Study unit 10: Questionnaire surveys in media research

This assignment is structured as follows:

1 INTRODUCTION (5 marks)
2 QUANTITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS (20 marks)
3 MEDIA AUDIENCE THEORY (30 marks)
4 QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS IN MEDIA RESEARCH (30 marks)
5 CONCLUSION (5 marks)
6 SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION (5 marks)
SOURCES CONSULTED (5 marks for technical presentation)
[Total: 100 marks]
1 INTRODUCTION (5)
In the introduction to your option clearly identify/indicate what will be discussed in the option. The introduction should be a paragraph of approximately eight (8) sentences and not more than half a page.

2 QUANTITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS (20)
Read the article by Nancy Signorielli (2003:36–57) in your study guide and answer the following questions:

2.1 Summarise the research problem for Signorielli’s study (2003:36–57) in one sentence. The research problem should meet the basic criteria as outlined by Wigston (2009a:11–12) in your prescribed book. (3)

2.2 Explain and discuss cultivation theory and the basic assumptions of the theory as stated by Signorielli (2003:36–57) in her study. (7)
2.3 Provide evidence for Signorielli’s motivation for using cultivation theory in her study.
(10)

3 MEDIA AUDIENCE THEORY (30)
You are a media researcher and an activist for media freedom in South Africa. A nongovernmental organisation (NGO) fighting for media freedom and freedom of expression in a changing media environment has approached you to develop a manual for its members about audience wants and needs in a rapidly digitalising broadcasting landscape. The NGO chairperson has asked you to explain how uses and gratifications theory may be used to understand how audiences interact with the media and what they may want their public service broadcaster to deliver. You realise that you need to explain the basic assumptions of uses and gratifications theory, and present relevant examples from the media to illustrate these assumptions.
Write a manual in which you describe the purpose and assumptions of uses and gratifications theory. Begin your manual with an introduction in which you briefly outline the purpose of the manual. Follow that with a brief explanation of what uses and gratification theory is, and then explain the assumptions of uses and gratifications theory to demonstrate how this theory can be used to understand the way in which media audiences may respond to public service broadcasting in a digitalised media environment.
While explaining each assumption, you should refer to a relevant example from the media of your choice. You may use the same media example to illustrate each assumption, or you may select different examples for each assumption. You must end the manual with a conclusion summarising the key arguments of your deliberations.
You should read Magriet Pitout’s typology of uses and gratifications theory in the prescribed book before writing your manual

You should discuss the following in your manual:
? _a description of uses and gratifications theory
? _theoretical assumptions of uses and gratifications theory
? _typology (categories) of needs
? _the dimension of “gratifications sought and obtained”
? _ritualised and instrumental media use
You will be assessed according to the following criteria:
? _an understanding of each of the assumptions of uses and gratifications theory (15)
? _the application of each assumption to relevant media examples (15)

Refer to Pitout (2009a:391–397) for assistance in writing your manual.

4 QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS IN MEDIA RESEARCH (30)

Read the following scenario:

Multichoice South Africa, as the owner of DSTV subscription services in South Africa, has recently launched a new channel on the DSTV bouquet called CourtTV, which broadcasts various high profile criminal court cases. The channel cost several millions to launch and is struggling to attract advertisers owing to concerns that viewers do not know the channel and are generally apathetic towards the channel. Multichoice South Africa has therefore contracted the South Africa Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) to conduct research to assess the knowledge of a particular section of viewers to ascertain whether they watch CourtTV, their attitudes regarding televised criminal cases, what they like to watch on television and so forth. As a researcher at SAARF you are given the task of conducting this research among members of your community.

Answer the following questions related to the above scenario:

4.1 Write an introduction for your study and provide a motivation for the suitability of questionnaire survey research as an appropriate research methodology for this scenario. Refer to Bornman (2009a:426–428). (5)

4.2 What is the research problem in the scenario, in other words, what needs to be investigated? Refer to Bornman (2009a:428–429). (2)

4.3 State whether you would use probability or non-probability sampling and justify your choice. Give reasons why the one you do not select would not be very suitable. Refer to Bornman (2009a:438–448). (5)

4.4 State which sampling technique(s) you would employ and give reasons for their suitability. Explain why the other sampling techniques would not be very suitable. Refer to Bornman (2009a:428–429). (5)

4.5 Explain which type of questionnaire survey you would use and say why it is the most appropriate. Refer to Bornman (2009a:449–457). (3)

4.6 Provide at least five (5) questions that you intend to ask in your questionnaire survey. Your questions must relate to the problem being investigated and must contain a variety of question formats such as those discussed by Bornman (2009a:457–472). (10)

5 CONCLUSION (5)
Present a summary of the contents of your assignment as a conclusion. The conclusion should consist of a paragraph of approximately eight (8) sentences and should not be more than half a page.

6 SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION (5)