Fateh Khaled 8703

1. Uses and Gratifications theory
(Blumler and Katz)
FATEH KHALED

2. Introduction
 The 1960’s was revolutionary for the world of
technology, this is because it was the first
generation to grow up with television.
 Far from being a passive mass, audiences were
made of up individuals who actively consumed
texts for different reasons and in different ways.
 Laswell (1948) suggested that texts from the
media had particular functions for the individuals
within society, these are listed below:
 Entertainment
 Cultural Transmission
 Surveillance and Correlation

3. Continued
 Audience therefore use media texts to gratify needs for:
- Escapism – To escape from everyday problems
- Information – Gain extra knowledge from different
sources.
- Pleasure – For example coming back from work; turning
the TV on in order to relax.
- Comparing relationships and lifestyles
- Diversion
- Sexual Stimulation

4. Blumler and Katz
 Blumler and Katz proposed the ‘uses and
gratifications theory’ in order to explain that media
consumers play an active role in choosing how they
interpret the media. It is up to their own decision to
decide what they watch and for what reason.
 They focused on the social and psychological needs,
which generate expectations of the mass media,
which lead to differential patterns of media
exposure, resulting in the need of gratifications
(usually unintended ones)

5. Five components compromising the theory
 The audience is conceived as active.
 In the mass communication process, much initiative in
linking gratification and media choice lies with the
audience member.
 The media compete with other sources of satisfaction.
 Methodologically speaking, many of the goals of mass
media use can be derived from data supplied by
individual audience members themselves.
 Value judgments about the cultural significance of mass
communication should be suspended while audience
orientations are explored on their own terms.
(source: wikipedia)

6. Uses and gratifications hierarchy

7. How does this relate to my project?
 It is very important for me to understand why people
will me watching my final media product.
 My media product personally is to entertain my
target audience, those who are interested in music
will be entertained and watch it solely for those
purposes.
 However to an extent it could fit under ‘comparing
relationships and lifestyles’ because the theme of my
music video is about a relationships; and the
struggles a relationship can go through.