Annette Hill

Professor of Media and Communications
Department of Communication and Behavioral Sciences , School of Education and Communication
Head of Subject Media and Communications
Presentation Publications

Annette Hill is Professor of Media and Communications at Jönköping University. Her research focuses on media audiences, with interests in media engagement, citizens and sustainable democracy, everyday life, genres, production studies and cultures of viewing. She is the author of 10 books, and over 90 articles and book chapters in journals and edited collections. According to Google Scholar, her work has been cited over 6600 times, i10 index of 58.

Hill’s research projects and publications over a 25-year period revolve around understanding engagement that runs counter to dominant discourses of engagement as a commercial marker of attention within global capitalist industries. Her work roots engagement in democratic values, understanding engagement as a means of enhancing citizen agency. A major part of her career is devoted to writing, including as main author: 6 single authored monographs (eg Routledge); 2 co-authored monographs; 12 industry/policy reports (e.g. OFCOM, EndemolShine, Samsung); 46 single and co-authored book chapters; 27 single and co-authored international journal articles in peer-reviewed journals. As editor: 2 book collections and 8 special issues of peer-reviewed international journals (e.g. International Journal of Cultural Studies). 

Hill has extensive experience in leading centres of excellence in media, arts and design in the UK and Sweden. She was Research Director (University of Westminster) responsible for the Research Assessment Exercise (2008, media and communication No 1 ranking. Whilst at Lund University, as Chair and Professor in Media and Communication, MKV has risen to the top 100 (QS rankings for subject 2018-2022), and was recently ranked 60 in the world (THE 2023).  Whilst at Lund University, Hill set up and directed the MSc Programme in Media and Communication, attracting over 600 applications, a student cohort from 25 countries, and an alumni that includes 30 PhD scholars around the world. 

Her experience of industry-academic collaboration, knowledge exchange and public engagement includes work with the British Film Institute, BBC and Office of Communications, European Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Nordic projects and consultancy with YLE, SVT, Samsung Nordics, and global media producer EndemolShine. 

Hill is a committed academic citizen, serving on research funding boards, e.g. the Austrian Research Council, Danish Research Council, Arts and Humanities Research Council, and academic networks, e.g. Executive Board Member of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA).

Article

Hill, A. (2024). Streaming platform imaginaries: audiences and Southeast Asian streaming Continuum. Journal of Media and Cultural Studies. More information
Hill, A., Lee, J. (2022). Roamers: Audiences on the Move Across Entertainment Platforms In Southeast Asia Javnost - The Public, 29(1), 98-114. More information
Hermes, J., Hill, A. (2021). Transgression in contemporary media culture International journal of cultural studies, 24(1), 3-14. More information
Hill, A. (2021). Who killed Utopia? Cult conspiracy drama and a television imaginary International journal of cultural studies, 24(1), 56-71. More information
Hill, A. (2021). Documentary imaginary: Production and audience research of The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence European Journal of Cultural Studies, 24(4), 801-815. More information
Mathijs, E., Hill, A. (2021). Fugitive cult receptions of conspiracy thriller Utopia Participations, 18(2), 318-334. More information
Hill, A., Mortensen, M., Hermes, J. (2021). Fear: Introduction to special issue European Journal of Cultural Studies, 24(4), 793-800. More information
Hermes, J., Hill, A. (2020). Television’s undoing of social distancing European Journal of Cultural Studies, 23(4), 655-661. More information
Hill, A., Askanius, T., Kondo, K. (2019). Live reality television: Care structures within the production and reception of talent shows Critical Studies in Television, 14(1), 7-21. More information
Hill, A., Askanius, T., Kondo, K., Luis Urueta, J. (2019). Provocative engagement: Documentary audiences and performances in The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence International journal of cultural studies, 22(5), 662-677. More information
Hill, A. (2016). Push-Pull Dynamics: Producer and Audience Practices for Television Drama Format the Bridge Television and New Media, 17(8), 754-768. More information
Hill, A., Hermes, J. (2016). Passion: Introduction to Special Issue European Journal of Cultural Studies, 19(3), 207-208. More information
Hill, A. (2015). Spectacle of excess: The passion work of professional wrestlers, fans and anti-fans European Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(2), 174-189. More information
Hill, A. (2013). Introduction to civic cultures Television and New Media, 14(1), 3-4. More information
Tsekleves, E., Whitham, R., Kondo, K., Hill, A. (2013). Investigating pay-as-you-go to address issues of trust, privacy and security around media use at home Universal Access in the Information Society, 12(2), 217-231. More information
Tsekleves, E., Whitham, R., Kondo, K., Hill, A. (2011). Investigating media use and the television user experience in the home Entertainment Computing, 2(3), 151-161. More information
Cruickshank, L., Tsekleves, E., Whitham, R., Hill, A., Kondo, K. (2007). Making interactive TV easier to use: Interface design for a second screen approach The Design Journal, 10(3), 41-53. More information
Hill, A., Weibull, L., Nilsson, Å. (2007). Public and popular: British and Swedish audience trends in factual and reality television Cultural Trends, 16(1), 17-41. More information
Hill, A. (2002). Big Brother: The Real Audience Television and New Media, 3(3), 323-340. More information
Hill, A., Palmer, G. (2002). Big Brother Television and New Media, 3(3), 251-254. More information
Hill, A. (2001). Media risks: The social amplification of risk and the media violence debate Journal of Risk Research, 4(3), 209-225. More information
Hill, A. (2000). Fearful and Safe: Audience Response to British Reality Programming Television and New Media, 1(2), 193-213. More information
Hill, A. (2000). The language of complaint Media Culture and Society, 22(2), 233-236. More information

Book

Dahlgren, P., Hill, A. (2023). Media engagement. Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2015). Reality TV. Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2010). Paranormal media: Audiences, spirits and magic in popular culture. London: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2007). Restyling factual TV: Audiences and news, documentary and reality genres. Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2005). Reality TV: audiences and popular factual television. London: Routledge More information
Gauntlett, D., Hill, A. (1999). TV living: Television, culture and everyday life. London: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (1997). Shocking entertainment: viewer response to violent movies. Luton: John Libbey Publishing More information

Book chapter

Hill, A. (2025). Introduction – Audience engagement and experiences. In: Annette Hill & Peter Lunt (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Media Audiences Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A., Lunt, P. (2025). Introduction to Companion to Media Audiences. In: Annette Hill & Peter Lunt (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Media Audiences Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A., Liao, Y. (2025). Slow reality TV and Chinese audiences. In: Annette Hill & Peter Lunt (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Media Audiences Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A., Kondo, K. (2022). Entertainment mobilisation: Nordic noir fans and screen tourism. In: Ruxandra Trandafoiu (Ed.), Border Crossings and Mobilities on Screen (pp. 173 -184). More information
Hill, A., Hartmann, M., Andersson, M. (2021). Introduction: Mobile socialities. In: A. Hill, M. Hartmann & M. Andersson (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of mobile socialities (pp. 1 -15). Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2021). Transported immobility. In: A. Hill, M. Hartmann & M. Andersson (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of mobile socialities (pp. 290 -301). Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2021). Media industries and audiences: An analytic dialogue. In: The Routledge Companion to Media Industries (pp. 508 -517). London: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2020). Reality TV: Performances and audiences. In: Janet Wasko & Eileen R. Meehan (Ed.), A Companion to Television (pp. 199 -219). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons More information
Hill, A. (2019). Engaging with reality television. In: Shawn Shimpach (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Global Television (pp. 163 -171). New York: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2019). Ambiguous audiences. In: Brian Winston (Ed.), The documentary film book (pp. 83 -88). Basingstoke: Bloomsbury Academic More information
Hill, A. (2018). Media audiences and reception studies. In: Elena Di Giovanni & Yves Gambier (Ed.), Reception Studies and Audiovisual Translation (pp. 3 -19). More information
Hill, A. (2018). Paranormal reality television: Audience engagement with mediums and spirit communication. In: Mara Einstein, Katherine Madden & Diane Winston (Ed.), Religion and Reality TV: Faith in Late Capitalism (pp. 121 -136). London: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2015). Audience experiences and emotional economy. In: Gregory Ferrell Lowe & Charles Brown (Ed.), Managing Media Firms and Industries: What's So Special About Media Management? (pp. 277 -292). Cham: Springer More information
Hill, A. (2013). Paranormal cultural practices. In: Olu Jenzen & Sally R. Munt (Ed.), The Ashgate Research Companion to Paranormal Cultures (pp. 65 -78). More information
Hill, A. (2012). Audiences in the round: Multi-method research in factual and reality television. In: Klaus Bruhn Jensen (Ed.), A Handbook of Media and Communication Research: Qualitative and quantitative methodologies (pp. 302 -317). Abingdon: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2011). The Audience is the Show. In: Virginia Nightingale (Ed.), The Handbook of Media Audiences (pp. 472 -488). More information
Hill, A. (2006). The Social Amplification of Risk and the Media Violence Debate. In: C. K. Weaver & C. Carter (Ed.), Critical readings: violence and the media (pp. 83 -94). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press More information
Hill, A. (2005). Reality TV: Performance, Authenticity, and Television Audiences. In: Janet Wasko (Ed.), A companion to television (pp. 449 -467). More information
Hill, A. (2004). The Idea of Learning: Young Viewers of Reality TV in the U.K. In: Cecilia von Feilitzen (Ed.), Young people, soap operas and reality TV (pp. 181 -188). Göteborg: The International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media More information
Hill, A. (2004). Watching Big Brother UK. In: Ernest Mathjis & Janet Jones (Ed.), Big Brother International: Formats, critics and publics (pp. 25 -39). London: Wallflower Press More information
Hill, A. (2002). Television Audiences and Everyday Life. In: Toby Miller (Ed.), Television Studies (pp. 135 -149). London: British Film Institute Publishing More information
Hill, A. (2001). Looks like it hurts: Women’s responses to shocking entertainment. In: Martin Barker & Julian Petley (Ed.), Ill effects: The media/violence debate (pp. 135 -149). London: Routledge More information
Hill, A. (2000). Fearful and Safe: Viewer Response to British Popular Factual Entertainment. In: J. Izod, R. Kilborn & M. Hibberd (Ed.), From Grierson to the Docu-Soap: Breaking the Boundaries (pp. 131 -144). Luton: University of Luton Press More information
Hill, A. (2000). Crime and crisis: British reality TV in action. In: Edward Buscombe (Ed.), British television: A reader (pp. 218 -234). More information
Hill, A. (2000). Research Report on the BFI Audience Tracking Study. In: Sue Ralph, Tim Lees & Jo Langham Brown (Ed.), Current debates in broadcasting (pp. 35 -40). More information
Hill, A. (2000). A social drama: Anti-violence campaign groups and media violence. In: David Berry (Ed.), Ethics and Media Culture: Practices and Representations (pp. 248 -260). Burlington: Focal Press More information
Hill, A., Thomson, K. (2000). Sex and the media: a shifting landscape. In: R. Jowell, J. Curtice, K. Thomson, L. Jarvis, C. Bromley & N. Stratford (Ed.), British social attitudes: Focusing on diversity, the 17th report (pp. 71 -99). London: Sage Publications More information
Hill, A. (1999). Risky Business: Film Violence as an Interactive Phenomenon. In: M. Stokes & R. Maltby (Ed.), Identifiying Hollywood’s Audiences: Cultural Identity and the Movies (pp. 175 -186). More information

Conference paper

Hill, A. (2024). Authenticity Index: engaging with fact frictions in documentary andreality television. Media Frictions International Symposium, 2-3 May 2024, Jönköping, Sweden. More information
Tsekleves, E., Whitham, R., Kondo, K., Hill, A. (2009). Bringing the television experience to other media in the home: An ethnographic study. New York: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 7th European Conference on European Interactive Television Conference, 3-5 June 2009, Leuven, Belgium. More information
Tsekleves, E., Cruickshank, L., Hill, A., Kondo, K., Whitham, R. (2007). Interacting with digital media at home via a second screen. Washington, DC: IEEE Computer Society, Ninth IEEE International Symposium on Multimedia Workshops (ISMW 2007), 10-12 December 2007, Taichung, Taiwan. More information

Collections

(2025). The Routledge Companion to Media Audiences. Abingdon: Routledge More information
(2021). The Routledge handbook of mobile socialities. Abingdon: Routledge More information
(2003). The Television Studies Reader. More information