Audience effects theory: blog tasks

 1) Write a definition of a passive audience: 

This is the view that audiences passively take in information from the media and that these messages have the same effect on everyone.

2) Write a definition of an active audience: 

This is the more modern and generally accepted view that audiences interact with and make conscious choices regarding the media they consume.

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory: 

 the suggestion that audiences are always passive and therefore take the intended message from the producer as if it was injected into their minds. This assumes no individual difference in audience members. 

4) Write down a media product (e.g. TV show, newspaper or videogame) for each category of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification. The first one is done for you: 

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: Media text - The Times newspaper
 > Why: It tells audiences important information about politics, the world and more.

PERSONAL IDENTITY:  a character's lifestyle in a movie.
 > Why:  some people can relate to a character depending on its actions or lifestyle.

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: gambling and casinos.
 > Why: bright colours and flashing lights and loud sounds create a sense of urgency in a person. the chance of winning a big amount of money can make the person too focussed into getting the money rather than thinking about the risks and it helps them entertained from their normal life.

RELATIONSHIPS: people liking Taylor Swift
 > Why:  people care about Taylor Swift because they might relate to her or because she's been broken up by a boyfriend.

5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analysing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above). 

In the clip from Blue Planet, there are elements of the clip that offers the audience voyeuristic pleasures as they watch the animals and fish thrive in the ocean as well as the beauty of the lands, plants, oceans, coral and ice bergs. It tells us that life is beautiful and the world is too.

The animals and how some areas are describes as cities makes the audience relate to the animals as they are living and doing the same thing as other animals do (eating, drinking, moving.)

The sounds and the many scenes of different environments makes the audience feel as if they are witnessing it in front of them in real life, distracting them and is a good use for escapism.

It is mostly uses of voyeuristic pleasures that is used as the clip focusses more of senses like sounds and sight.

the audience would feel gratified as they are living in the same world where all this life exists.

Grade 8/9 extension tasks

To take this further, select a media text of your own choice, embed it in your blog and write another detailed paragraph analysing the audience pleasures in that product.

(pretend its a document of some guy climbing mount Everest)

The audience would enjoy the beautiful icy landscape as it is visually pleasing to the eyes (voyeuristic pleasures).

It gives determination, hope or courage to anyone who is planning on climbing the mountain and if they do, they will feel very proud as to do something very dangerous would pump up your adrenalin and it would have similar effects if you would go through caves. ( gratification)

You can read more about media effects theories on BBC Bitesize here.

Finally, think about the hypodermic needle theory. Do you think most audiences believe everything they see in the media? Why? Explain your answer and try to argue both sides.

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: Media text - Mount Everest documentation
 > Why: tells information of progress to get to the top of the mountain, also hazards and survival tips.

PERSONAL IDENTITY: a guy risking his life
 > Why:  This can relate to a more niche group of people ( like cave explorers) as they risk their lives to achieve something in life.

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: Hiking the very big mountain.
 > Why: The risks and hazards that hiking up that mountain ensures makes people more interested and focus less on their surrounding and more onto the person at risk.

RELATIONSHIPS: people saving others
 > Why: The act of saving a life due to a huge avalanche or a slip into a pit of ice makes people care for the people who almost loses their life as no one really wants that person dead.

I don't believe every audience believes everything they see in the media because some medias can be faked and less real or be lies. There is an exception as there are experts in the media that are trustworthy and therefore some people would believe them. however, it depends on the person themselves, if they are a child, the elderly, an adult, if they are gullible or careful in the internet because some people may have not grown up with technology or some people may have not developed enough yet which may mean they would believe everything on the media.