Reconnecting with audiences in the age of saturation. Book review: Media Engagement. Connecting with Audiences in Media Markets

Abstract

In an oversaturated, distrustful ecosystem, Media Engagement. Connecting with Audiences in Media Markets, edited by Mercedes Medina and David Kimber (the Media Management and Economics series), explores how to reconnect media and audiences. It brings together around thirty scholars and balances theory— from uses & gratifications to expected value theory—with cases from journalism (RTVE, BBC), technology (Google, Amazon), and entertainment (The Chosen, Squid Game). Its key contribution is a four-dimension definition of engagement (motivational, emotional, rational, and behavioral) and its dialogue with trust, narrative, quality, and UGC. With chapters on streaming, podcasts, crowdfunding, and regional perspectives (U.S. Latinos, the Middle East, Korea), it offers a rigorous, applicable framework for understanding the media–audience relationship.