Meanings of audiences : comparative discourses /

This collection of 13 essays discusses how audiences and publics have been perceived and contextualized historically and internationally. One essay explains how ancient Greek scholars interpreted and differentiated the audiences interested in culture and public affairs. Contemporary interpretations are provided about the perceptions of audiences in China, Taiwan, the Arab world, India, Russia, and Zimbabwe. One interesting essay discusses how Egypt's political leaders, television producers, actors, and intellectuals (prior to the Mubarak government's overthrow in January 2011) identified and explained the audiences attracted to popular Egyptian telenovelas broadcast during Ramadan. That chapter suggests most audience perceptions were out of touch with daily Egyptian life, which implies insights about Egypt's current sociocultural, political stability. The contributors are faculty from the US, UK, China, South Africa, and four other nations. Butsch (sociology and film and media studies, Rider Univ.) and Livingstone (communication and media studies, London School of Economics) introduce the essays, but the book lacks a concluding chapter that places all the contributions within a comparative, comprehensive, analytic framework. All essays include a helpful bibliography; a few have footnotes. The readability of the essays varies. A resource for cross-cultural studies and media culture. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and above. R. A. Logan emeritus, University of Missouri--Columbia