Genre Expectations in the Age of Digital Media (Routledge, 2023) has been released by Levin College School of Communication emeriti faculty, Dr. Leo W. Jeffres and Dr. Kimberly A. Neuendorf, along with University of Connecticut colleague Dr. David J. Atkin (formerly of CSU). The publication bridges the divide between film and media studies scholarship by exploring audience expectations of film and TV genres in the age of digital streaming, using qualitative thematic and quantitative data-driven analyses.

Through four ground-breaking surveys of audience members and content creators, the authors have empirically determined what audiences expect of various genres, the extent to which these definitions match those of scholars and critics, and the overall variation and complexity of audience expectations in the age of media abundance. 

They also examine audience habits and preferences, drawing from both theory and original empirical analyses, with a view toward the implications for the moving image in a rapidly changing media environment.

The book draws from the data to develop several new concepts, including genre repertoire, genre hybridity, audience interest maximization, variety seeking, and a new stage of genre development, genre-bending.

From Routledge: "Through four ground-breaking surveys of audience members and content creators, the authors have empirically determined what audiences expect of various genres, the extent to which these definitions match those of scholars and critics, and the overall variation and complexity of audience expectations in the age of media abundance. They also examine audience habits and preferences, drawing from both theory and original empirical analyses, with a view toward the implications for the moving image in a rapidly changing media environment."

Given the media landscape, the timing of the book couldn't be better. Additional information can be found here: https://www.routledge.com/Audience-Genre-Expectations-in-the-Age-of-Dig….