Audience studies 2.0: on the theory, politics and method of qualitative audience research

Audience research, this paper suggests, is an excellent field to test the claims of Media Studies 2.0. Moreover, 2.0 claims are a good means to review qualitative audience research itself too. Working from a broad strokes analysis of the theory, politics and method of interpretative research with audiences, it is argued that the new media ecology demands new roles of researchers, and an open approach to 'audiencehood' as practice and innovative research method. The paper ends with a case study of the co-creation project of a research team and a Moroccan-Dutch Internet community-writing team working together on an Internet telenovela.