Media repertoires of selective audiences: the impact of status, gender, and age on media use

Abstract

Data from the 2000 Time Use Survey (TUS; n=1819) are used to analyze the composition of media repertoires of the Dutch population. Bourdieu's theory of taste would predict that a repertoire is internally consistent in terms of status: in the repertory of high status groups, highbrow is coupled with highbrow (NYT with PBS) while in low status groups lowbrow goes with lowbrow (New York Post with Big Brother). In light of previous research, however, we expect first that media repertoires are characterized by other dimensions than degree of ‘brow-ship’ or legitimacy; second, that status in itself is inadequate to segment these repertoires’ audiences. Some segments focus on one and the same medium type and they select items which differ in level. Other segments focus on a particular type of content irrespective of the nature of the medium, while still other audience segments are guided by both content and medium type. Analyses are based on the entire media supply (here: 19 kinds of media). The first research question of this paper bears on the stepwise segmentation of the media audience. This question is answered by interpreting the results of a hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) in a new way. In addition to the cluster solution, factor analysis was carried out in order to identify repertoires. Eight factors, for the most part similar to the clustering by HCA, structure the repertoires. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that the eight repertoires are clearly distinct in terms of status, gender, age, labor market position situation, as well as religion and political interest.