Your audiences are networked, they produce and curate their own media content across multiple platforms, and they are critical of what they consume. In this unit, we explore the complex relationship between you and your audience against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving media landscape. We interrogate the notion of audience in the 21st century: Who are they? What do we know about them? What role do they play? How can we connect with them in meaningful ways? You learn how to use a range of digital and other communication tools to identify, understand, measure, target and communicate with diverse audiences. You also learn how to develop and maintain meaningful relationships with your audience - a crucial skill for today's professional communicator.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Develop a fundamental critical understanding of audiences in the context of the current communication and media environment;

2. Discuss and analyse the complex relationship - including rights and responsibilities - between professional communicators, organisations and the audiences with which they engage;
3. Develop foundational skills in audience identification, analysis and targeting using a range of industry relevant tools; and
4. Demonstrate communication skills with people from diverse backgrounds.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology

Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.