Special Topics in Audience Analysis

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the theories, methods, and tools used to understand audiences in contemporary media, communication, and digital environments. Students will learn how audiences are defined, segmented, and measured across platforms, from traditional mass media to interactive social networks. The course emphasizes both qualitative approaches (e.g., focus groups, ethnography, sentiment analysis) and quantitative techniques (e.g., surveys, experiments, metrics, and big data analytics). Through case studies and hands-on projects, students will gain experience with audience research strategies used in various fields such as journalism, health communication, marketing, and entertainment industries. They will critically examine how audience data informs content creation, campaign design, and engagement strategies-while also interrogating ethical concerns related to privacy, representation, and algorithmic bias.