2. Blulmer and Katz (1974)
• Bulmer and Katz suggested that people use
the media to satisfy their needs. This is called
the four needs theory, and the four parts of
this theory are:
• Escape and diversion from everyday life
• Surveillance and information
• Personal relationships
• Personal identity
3. Escape and diversion
• Readers of magazines and websites can
escape everyday life by reading the
magazines. Music magazines and websites
provide this by the stories and getting the
readers involved so that the reader forgets
about their everyday life whilst reading it.
They can get carried away in the excitement of
the stories and the activities the magazine
provide, giving them that escape.
4. Surveillance and Information
• Music magazines and websites provide a lot of
information about music, the artists and the
music business which informs the readers and
keeps them up to date with the music scene.
5. Personal Relationships
• Music magazines provide an opportunity for
social interaction as readers can chat to each
other about the music, artists and events
sharing information and opinions on the latest
news and what's going on in the magazine.
6. Personal Identity
• Personal identity comes from the magazine
genre and the stories within it. Such as people
comparing themselves to the people in the
stories and imagining themselves in similar
situations. Also, readers can identify
themselves on the genre of music such as,
metal fans or rap fans.
7. Mode of Address
• Mode of address is how the magazine talks to the
audience and the language they use. For
instance, if the target audience is teens and
twenties then the language used will be generally
colloquial and informal to make the reader feel
closer to the magazine and relatable to the
contents, therefore, more likely to buy the
magazine. Different magazines have different
modes of address to attract their target
audiences. An example of this would be Top of
the Pops having a different mode of address to
NME.
8. Interactivity
• Magazines provide common ground for
readers so they can talk about it to each other.
They can also provide interaction between the
fans and the artists, the fans and the magazine
and the fans with each other in different
medias. Tw!tter, Fcebook, !nstagram and
other different types of social networking sites
are used in the magazine for interaction
purposes.
9. Interactivity
• Social networking sites are used not only for
interactivity but it also helps get the target
audience depending on what age the target
audience is, due to it being something that
that age group would use. This only works if
the target audience is of an age range of teens
and twenties as this age range will use social
networking sites.
10. Interactivity and Websites
• Websites provide a lot of different ways in which interactivity can
take place, such as flash and streaming technology allowing the
audience to watch videos and listen to music whereupon reviews
can be made and links to social networking sites so that fans can
talk about it and review it. Music can be downloaded on sites and
sites can also offer audio interviews. Now due to the movement of
smartphone use, pictures can be uploaded instantly along with
content within seconds of it happening. Flash technology can offer
a better platform for advertisement on sites rather than static
media as this will make it more eye catching and interesting which
could really involve the audience. Music magazine websites, fan and
critic blogs, band websites, social networking sites with pages upon
which are devoted to artists are all part of the contribution to
interactivity. Its in replace of the static pages which makes it more
interesting for the audience and getting the audience involved
makes them want to carry on doing it and reading up about artists
and continually makes it more enjoyable for them.
