Pertti Alasuutari provides a state-of-the-art summary of the field of audience research. With contributions from Ann Gray, Joke Hermes, John Tulloch and David Morley, a case is presented for a new agenda to account for the role of the media in everyday life.

PART ONE: THE SHAPE OF AUDIENCE RESEARCHIntroduction - Pertti Alasuutari Three Phases of Reception StudiesAudience and Reception Research in Retrospect - Ann Gray The Trouble with AudiencesThe Best of both Worlds? Media Audience Research between Rival Paradigms - Kim Schr[sl]oderPART TWO: THE NEW AGENDA: THE INSCRIPTION OF AUDIENCESMedia Figures in Identity Construction - Joke HermesCultural Images of the Media - Pertti AlasuutariLegitimations of Television Programme Policies - Heikki Hellman Patterns of Argumentation and Discursive Convergencies in a Multichannel AgeSlaves of the Ratings Tyranny? Media Images of the Audience - Ingunn HagenThe Implied Audience in Soap Opera Production - John Tulloch Everyday Rhetorical Strategies among Television Professionals To Be an Audience - Birgitta H[um]oijer`To Boldly Go...' - David Morley The `Third Generation' of Reception Studies