Transforming Audiences, Transforming Societies

The Action will coordinate research efforts into the key transformations of European audiences within a changing media and communication environment, identifying their complex interrelationships with the social, cultural and political areas of European societies. The Action will offer a perspective which is different from that of conventional ICT-focused audience research, by (a) bringing together experts who study a wide range of media, "old" mass media included, to understand how these relate to each other and to everyday life, and (b) paying equal attention to audience-focused issues (especially media interpretations and mediated experiences) and user-focused issues (both adoption and use of technologies). The Action will be of benefit to the scientific and education communities, to media, communication and ICT industries and professionals, to policy-makers and regulatory bodies, and to media-oriented NGOs and citizen initiatives.