Yleisö

Yleisö is a Finnish noun meaning audience, spectators, or readership. It refers to the people who observe or consume a performance, broadcast, or other public content. The term is used across arts, media, and events to describe the target or actual group of viewers, listeners, or readers. In theatre and live events, the audience is physically present; in broadcasting and online media, the audience is remote and can be measured by reach and engagement.

In performing arts, the relationship between the creator and the audience is central to reception. Performances may be designed to elicit response, orientation, or participation. In media industries, the concept extends to the audience's demographics, preferences, and viewing or listening patterns, which influence programming, scheduling, and marketing. Audience feedback can be direct (comments, applause) or indirect (ratings, time spent, streaming data).

Measurement and research: audience data are gathered by surveys, measurement systems, and analytics. Metrics include size or reach, composition (age, gender, region), engagement (duration, interactivity), and impact (recall, attitudes).

Finland-specific note: Yleisö is distinct from Yleisradio, the public broadcaster known as Yle. The word Yleisö describes the audience in Finnish, while Yle refers to the broadcaster. The term also appears in media theory and sociology, where it is treated as a social group affecting and being affected by public discourse.

See also: audience, public, media studies, audience measurement.