Which audience analysis measurements principles and techniques are most effective, and why?

Audience analysis is a crucial roll in determining what the mass audience is interested in which correlates to what is shown in media outlets. In the 1880’s people would listen to what others were talking about to gage public interest, but presently there are several different principals and techniques used to establish the mass audiences preferences in media. There are several principals that go along with probability sampling, which is defined as “everyone in the population being surveyed has an equal chance to be sampled” (Vivian, 328). Sample size is an issue that needs to be addressed. To assure that enough of the population is sampled it is a general rule that in population sizes over 500,000 the sample size should be 384. Also the margin of error and confidence level affects the validity of a study. Other audience measure techniques include interviews, diaries, meters, people meters, and portable meters. There is no specific technique that is better than another, it depends on the medium and also the information that is being collected. There are flaws with every principle and technique used to gage the audiences interests and preferences because there is no way to know what everyone is thinking unless everyone is analyzed which is unrealistic and expensive. Audience analysis has progressed since the 1880’s and the new principals and techniques allow for a more accurate sampling of the public.