Time and timing–A methodological perspective on production analysis

Abstract

In recent years, media production studies have grown into a thriving field of research, which has given rise to a discussion of the theoretical and methodological approaches it employs (Paterson et al, 2016; Frandsen, 2007; Bruun, 2010, 2016b). This article is a contribution to this development. The focal point is a discussion of how time and timing are important in media production research. The article points out that time is not just a matter of the amount of time that researchers have for their data collection. In production studies, the researcher constructs the object for analysis, and time is to be considered depending on the type of analytical object you are trying to create, on the temporality that is present in the production process behind specific genres and subject areas, and on the changes the media are undergoing. A particular aspect of time is timing, which has both a performative and a strategic dimension. The importance of time and timing will be illustrated with examples from our own and other researchers’ projects.