If I could research any aspect of media I would research audiences. Specifically, I would research the ways in which different media effects audiences and why it does so. To start my research I think I would show an audience a selection of clips. After reviewing the clips I would ask the following questions of them:
1. How do you feel after watching this clip?
2. Did your feelings change in any way over the course of the clip?
3. Did this clip influence your thoughts about the subject matter?
4. If so, how?
5. What did you think of the subject matter presented?
If I decided to do the research for the purpose of advertising, I would show the audience a selection of commercials and then add the following questions to the list above:
1. Had you previously heard of the product advertised?
2. Did you previously know of the actions and services the product advertised provides?
3. Was any emotion struck by viewing this commercial?
4. How likely are you to use this product after viewing this advertisement?
5. What about the advertisement makes you want or not want to use the product?
This type of research would be categorized under positivism media research. The media theories that I would be basing my research off of would be media effects and cultural studies. I would use a mixture of the both because my research would involve both limited and direct effects as well as audience research. However I think that to be thorough in my research I would also have to use a post positivism approach. In order to be conclusive about the effects of media on an audience I would need to use qualitative research because observations of audience reactions to the media would be an important component.
