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A2 Media Studies Audience theory
This document provides an overview of three key audience theories: 1. The Effects Model views audiences as passive recipients who are directly influenced by media texts. It has been criticized for ignoring audience agency. 2. The Uses and Gratifications Model positions audiences as active, using media to fulfill needs like diversion, escapism, and social comparison. It suggests consumption can help address personal issues. 3. Reception Theory recognizes that meanings encoded by producers may be decoded differently by audiences, who can have dominant, negotiated, or oppositional readings of texts. It acknowledges multiple possible interpretations.
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Introduction to audience theory, covering types, objectives, and its application to music videos.
Discussion on the Effects Model which suggests media texts negatively influence passive audiences.
Contrasts to the Effects Model; emphasizes active audience use of media for personal gratification.Developed by Stuart Hall, it explains how audiences decode encoded messages from producers.
Engagement through video analysis, focusing on understanding audience attraction techniques.
Final reflection on personal understanding of audience concepts learned throughout the lesson.
A2 Media Studies Audience theory
- 1. A2 Media Studies AUDIENCETHEORY Learning Objectives: To understand the key types of audience theory To apply audience theory to an example music video
- 2. AFL Progress Where wouldyou place yourself on a thermometer of understanding about AUDIENCE?
- 3. Audience Theory Threequestions: 1) Why do audiences choose to consume certain texts? 2) How do they consume texts? 3) What happens when they consume texts?
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- 7. Condense these theoriesonto paper/post-it Summarise the key points of each theory You will be using these notes to apply the theories to a music video in your practical groups
- 8. Audience Theory Thereare three theories of audience that we can apply to help us come to a better understanding about the relationship between texts and audience. 1. The Effects Model or the Hypodermic Model 2. The Uses and Gratifications Model 3. Reception Theory
- 9. The Effects Model TheEffects Model The consumption of media texts has an effect or influence upon the audience It is normally considered that this effect is negative Audiences are passive and powerless to prevent the influence The power lies with the message of the text
- 10. The Effects Model This model is also called: The Hypodermic Model Here, the messages in media texts are injected into the audience by the powerful, syringe- like, media The audience is powerless to resist Therefore, the media works like a drug and the audience is drugged, addicted, doped or duped.
- 11. The Effects Model Key evidence for the Effects Model 1. The Frankfurt School theorised in the 1920s and 30s that the mass media acted to restrict and control audiences to the benefit of corporate capitalism and governments 2. The Bobo Doll experiment This is a very controversial piece of research that apparently proved that children copy violent behaviour
- 12. The Effects Model TheBobo Doll Experiment This was conducted in 1961 by Albert Bandura
- 13. The Effects Model In the experiment: Children watched a video where an adult violently attacked a clown toy called a Bobo Doll The children were then taken to a room with attractive toys that they were not permitted to touch The children were then led to another room with Bobo Dolls 88% of the children imitated the violent behaviour that they had earlier viewed. 8 months later 40% of the children reproduced the same violent behaviour
- 14. The Effects Model What are the flaws of this theory? Key examples sited as causing or being contributory factors are: The film Child’s Play 3 in the murder of James Bulger in 1993 The game Manhunt in the murder of Stefan Pakeerah in 2004 by his friend Warren LeBlanc The film A Clockwork Orange (1971) in a number of rapes and violent attacks The film Severance (2006) in the murder of Simon Everitt
- 15. The Effects Model The Effects Model contributes to Moral Panics whereby: The media produce inactivity, make us into students who won’t pass their exams or ‘couch potatoes’ who make no effort to get a job The media produces violent ‘copycat’ behaviour or mindless shopping in response to advertisements
- 18. The Uses andGratifications Model The Uses and Gratifications Model is the opposite of the Effects Model The audience is active The audience uses the text & is NOT used by it The audience uses the text for its own gratification or pleasure
- 19. The Uses andGratifications Model Here, power lies with the audience NOT the producers This theory emphasises what audiences do with media texts – how and why they use them Far from being duped by the media , the audience is free to reject, use or play with media meanings as they see fit
- 20. The Uses andGratifications Model Audiences therefore use media texts to gratify needs for: Diversion Think about your initial Escapism responses in the starter Information activity: where any the same as these ‘needs’? Pleasure Comparing relationships and lifestyles with one’s own Sexual stimulation
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- 22. The Uses andGratifications Model The audience is in control and consumption of the media helps people with issues such as: Learning Emotional satisfaction Relaxation Help with issues of personal identity Help with issues of social identity Help with issues of aggression and violence
- 23. The Uses andGratifications Model Controversially the theory suggests the consumption of violent images can be helpful rather than harmful The theory suggests that audiences act out their violent impulses through the consumption of media violence The audience’s inclination towards violence is therefore sublimated, and they are less likely to commit violent acts
- 24. Reception Theory Giventhat the Effects model and the Uses and Gratifications have their problems and limitations a different approach to audiences was developed by the academic Stuart Hall at Birmingham University in the 1970s This considered how texts were encoded with meaning by producers and then decoded (understood) by audiences
- 25. Reception Theory Thetheory suggests that: When a producer constructs a text it is encoded with a meaning or message that the producer wishes to convey to the audience In some instances audiences will correctly decode the message or meaning and understand what the producer was trying to say In some instances the audience will either reject or fail to correctly understand the message
- 26. Reception Theory StuartHall identified three types of audience readings (or decoding) of the text: 1. Dominant or preferred 2. Negotiated 3. Oppositional
- 27. Reception Theory 1. Dominant Where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to do and broadly agrees with it E.g. Watching a political speech and agreeing with it
- 28. Reception Theory 2. Negotiated Where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in light of previously held views E.g. Neither agreeing or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested
- 29. Reception Theory 3. Oppositional Where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons E.g. Total rejection of the political speech and active opposition
- 30. Reception Theory Audience Decodes Meaning/Message Dominant or preferred Producer Encodes Negotiated Meaning Oppositional
- 31. Watch the video Individually- make notes on What reasons are there for an audience watching the video? Who is the intended audience? How do you know? How are the following things used to engage /attract an audience? Mise-en-scene Camera Sound Editing
- 32. As your practicalgroup: Feedback and share your findings with another group Then be prepared to share your findings with the whole class
- 33. AFL Progress ATTHE END OF THE LESSON Where would you place yourself now on a thermometer of understanding about AUDIENCE?