Audiences of Television

Abstract

This chapter departs from the previous two chapters and introduces theory and research on the audiences of television. Drawing from sociological studies of mass communication consumption, it also examines significant research on psychological responses to television use. This chapter is wholly focused on what audiences do with television rather than what television does to audiences. By considering the kinds of relationships audiences have with television, research evidence can highlight the kinds of journeys audiences are making with television with some understanding of what factors motivate these transactions (Moores 2006). This chapter will outline the impact that television has on the experience of everyday life (Silverstone 1999a), who these audiences are and what research has suggested about the nature and composition of audiences. It will also review how audiences employ television to enable a range of strategies to manage their daily and emotive lives. This chapter ends by reflecting on this literature with respect to the prison setting and reports what research has identified with respect to media use by prisoners: it draws from an extensive literature, yet selects key studies and insights to consider the dimensions of viewing television in non-domestic settings.¹