Audience (Week 1 Part 2)

whether you are constructing a text or analysing one, you will need to consider the destination of that text (i.e its target audience) and how that audience (or any other) will respond to that text.

Media analysts developed:

Effects models, i.e theoretical explanations of how humans ingest the information transmitted by media texts and how this might influence (or not) their behaviour

1. The Hypodermic Needle Model (1950's) - audiences passively receive the information.

2. Uses & Gratifications (1970's) - Far from being a passive mass, audiences were made up of individuals who actively consumed texts for different reasons and in different ways

*Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine

*Personal relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, eg) substituting soap operas for family life

*personal identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts

*Surveillance - information which could be useful for living eg) weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains

3. Reception theory (1980's-1990's)

Gender, class, age and ethnicity are all things considered when looking at audiences