Conceptualizing media users across media

Abstract

Many academic works and authors have added to our understanding of the changing audience dynamics that emerged with the wide adoption of digital media by exploring audiences turning into prosumers, producers, pro-ams and so on. Gradually, and rather unnoticed, another denominator seems to have entered our academic vocabulary: the user. Although widely adopted, many media scholars remain wary of this notion, as it would undermine theoretical advancements made in audience studies. At the same time, the almost natural adoption of the term in media studies indicates that ‘user’ is at least intuitively better suited than ‘audience’ to address people in relationship with media today. The article makes the case for ‘media user’ and ‘media use’ as not merely suitable terms but also as more encompassing analytical concepts, especially in light of understanding cross-media use. First, an argumentation is developed for adopting these terms by showing the analytical benefits of talking about media users when addressing people ‘floating’ across media. Subsequently, the notion of media use is grounded in both traditional approaches and recent advancements in media studies. Special attention is given to the notion of audience activity and how it translates into a cross-media environment. The article concludes with a critical reflection on both terms in relation to notions such as participation and user empowerment.