Media Research: The Future – is the past irrelevant?

Will convergence in media be mirrored by convergence in media research?

Some questions and topics for the evening: The future of media research in both the digital realm as well as with the continuing more traditional media. Is single source ow less or more likely? Media research is mostly funded by advertisers, but does this fact distort unduly what is done and the use to which research is put? Can the requirements of content providers and media owners be reconciled and even harmonised with those who mostly look for numbers and costs per contact?

Graham Mytton began his career in audience research in Tanzania in 1967. From 1982 to 1998 he was in charge of audience research for the BBC World Service Since then he has taught media research around the world and managed media research projects in Europe, Africa and Asia. One of his co—authors, Piet Hein Van Dam is an expert in passive measurement of audience behaviour on digital devices. Both will be speaking at this event. The third speaker will be Gerry Power of M & C Saatchi who will speak about new pathways for media research that are about changing lives.

The evening comes at a time when a new revised version of a very successful and influential media research book comes out in a revised and expanded edition. Originally published in 1993 the book originally covered radio, television and print, has appeared in several languages and is a standard training manual in many countries.