Title
With reference to research, critically discuss how knowledge of 'fandom' and 'fan' activities has contributed to our understanding of media audiences.

Introduction:
Audience is an essential and necessary part in the transmission of information. The decoding of information and signs delivered through media relies on individual audience’s perceptions and perspectives. Fan and fandom is a crucial proportion in the media audience. As stated in the Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World (2007, p1), “most people are fans of something”. The status of fandom and the culture of fan are becoming more and more pervasive in the contemporary society because of the development of transmission technology and the popularity of mass media.

Definition of Fan and Fandom
The word “fan” is coming from its etymological Latin root “fanaticus” which means enthusiastic and frantic and it is recognized as individuals who are fanatically obsessed with certain subjects. In general, the group of fans can be further defined as fandom. Fandom is more than merely an individual activity of being a fan, but rather, it is a collective behaviour and communal strategy forming an interpretive community of certain sub-cultural cohesion “evaded the preferred and intended meanings of the power bloc” (Gray, Harrington and Sandvoss, 2007). Fandom takes the form of group through which participants will socially share imagined concept and ideology of the community. It consists of observable network of identifiable individual as fans.

Anti Fans and Non fans
The characteristics of subculture decide that the fandom is only possible to be accepted and supported by a certain group of audience rather than the whole. There are also anti-fans group and non-fans group existing as parts of media audience. According to Gray (2003), the anti-fans group is not against fandom. They are those who dislike the text or genre supported by fandom and consider the subculture of fandom as stupid and insane. And Unlike the fans group and anti-fans group who both have emotional preferences to media content from contrary perspectives though, there are also audience who have viewed the text and content of media but without any intense involvement. This group of audience is defied as non-fans group by Gray (2003).
2.
The forming of new audience is facilitated with the newly developed social network and interactive media, such as facebook or twitters. Cyberspace provides new and totally different space for fans to congregate, develop and share their culture interactively than the traditional media. The innovation and popularity of Internet has changed the size and demographics of fandom while at the same time created new forms of interactions between author and audience. In the information age, audience are gradually evolved from a passive receiver to active participant with more autonomy and control of media choices.

Cyberspace breaks down the barriers of geography and time for fandom. Before the advent of internet, fandom forming required a certain degree of physical encounters among fans in real life. Fandom is transmitted personally and locally. The artefacts created among fandom are usually delivered through newsletters or zines which are only shared within small groups. The virtual community of fandom is prohibited by space and time. Online social network works as proxy for the physical individual in cyberspace. It is a necessary element in forming relationships and fulfils the fundamental prerequisite of space and time for fandom. Newsletters formerly printed mailed now are posted and delivered virtually through blogs and emails.

3.
The technology progress of digital media has enhanced the connectivity and formation of virtual communities, however, online fandom challenge the operation pattern of traditional media and the relationship between author and audience as well. Cyberspace is not only a method for fandom to express communal identity but also means of asserting hegemonic control over collective base text.

4, evaluation