Do news bulletins, soap operas, dramas and documentaries accurately portray the world in which we live? What does television tell us about ourselves and our society? Do sitcoms, for example, merely reflect the national incidence of divorce, crime and unemployment or do they aim to effect social change by presenting positive role models for women, ethnic minorities and the unemployed? Do they show us, by example, how we can live better? In How Television Sees Its Audience , Berman addresses these important questions. His fascinating analysis of programme output details the way in which television mirrors -- or attempts to mirror -- our lives, our customs and our aspirations.