Mass media research is important to understand why humans react, think, or behave the way they do. It can help inform business and advertising decisions and help adjust the media’s techniques. Today we are going to be comparing two different mass media research articles. One utilizes a qualitative method, and the other utilizes a quantitative method. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, and choosing the right type is all based on the information you are truly wanting to know.
The first article is a quantitative survey research study. It looks at how participants receive their information through different media formats. This study was able to show how participants utilize media on a scale from daily, weekly, monthly, less than monthly, and never. This article produced extremely helpful contributions to the mass media industry. They surveyed how participants obtain information either through television or the internet in different countries. From this data, we can see the divide in countries and how obtaining information around the world differs. This information can be utilized throughout the media to share information in ways specific to those countries.
The second article is a qualitative case study. It looks at how viewers feel about paying for news. It also utilized semi-structured interviews to further understand the audience. This study was able to gather the feelings and thoughts of audiences on this topic. This is a great contribution that can be utilized throughout the journalism community. Through this study media sites are able to come up with new plans that consumers will be more open too. This will help more traditional media stay relevant and adapt to current times.
I find that the first article’s research method was clearer. With a quantitative method you can analyze your data more clearly than you can with qualitative. You are able to graph your data and see the correlations. With qualitative data your data is more likely to vary significantly. Both methods are necessary and useful but depend on what type of information you are seeking and what resources you have.