"Media Performance" in: The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication online

Media performance has a broad reference to the assessment of mass media provision according to a range of evaluative criteria, primarily employing “objective” indicators and methods. In practice most attention has been paid to the content of mass media rather than other aspects of performance, such as audience size and response or mes- sage effectiveness. However, it is these wider aspects of media performance that really matter most, and the criteria applied in content research are generally chosen for their relevance to these wider issues. The primary focus has always been on news and infor- mation. The criteria applied stem from three main sources: the standards of professional communicators, often journalists in print and broadcasting; the sources who set the objectives of the relevant content, such as informing, persuading, or activating; and external advocates and critics, especially those representing a wider “public interest.” The methods used are typically those of the social sciences, aiming to be systematic, reliable, and generalizing in conclusions. The main purpose of performance research is the “improvement” of content, as seen from the different perspectives mentioned.