Exploratory Study on the Effects of Audience Segmentation on Pre-teen media audiences

Title: It’s a boy/girl thing: An exploratory study on the effects of audience segmentation on pre-teen media audiences

Abstract: Du, E. L. and III Vaflor, C. R. (2014) It’s a Boy/Girl Thing: An Exploratory Study on the Effects of Audience Segmentation on Pre-teen Media Audiences. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication. This thesis is an exploratory study on the effects of audience segmentation on pre-teen media audiences. The general objective for the study was to find out how audience segmentation as exhibited in media products like Total Girl and K-Zone affect the gender perception and the formation of gender schema of pre-teen media audiences. The researchers explored the respondents’ preconceived notions of gender as well as their reasons for consuming the magazines and their evaluation of the magazines’ content. This was done through online survey and focus group discussions with respondents ages 9 to 12 who are readers of at least one of the magazines. The researchers also interviewed the editorial staff and writers of the respective magazines to gain their insight on the generation of content in the magazines. A combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis was used to discuss the results of the data gathered. The researchers found that there is a conscious effort on the part of the magazine writers to generate content for a specific kind of audience. Meanwhile, majority of the respondents acknowledge and identify with gender binaries and that these notions have been found to be reinforced through the content of these magazine.

Key words: CMC Thesis, Journalism, Young Media Audiences, Magazines, Gender, Audience Reception

View Thesis:View Thesis