Virginia Nightingale is an independent scholar whose work delves into the complex interplay of media and audiences. Her research offers critical perspectives on new media and the challenges presented by convergence, exploring how audiences engage with and are shaped by evolving communication technologies. Nightingale's scholarly contributions provide valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of media studies, making her work essential reading for those interested in understanding contemporary media culture.
This work takes both a chronological and a thematic approach, in order to explore the ways in which the audience as an analytical concept has changed, as well as examining the relationships which audiences have with texts and the ways in which they exert their power as consumers.
Focusing on two decades of television audience research, the book explores the impact of ethnographic methods on understanding viewer behavior. It highlights the shift towards studying "ordinary people" through interviews and participant observations, alongside textual analysis of television shows. This approach, celebrated by Stuart Hall, marks a significant evolution in audience research, emphasizing the complex relationship between viewers and media content.