This document discusses several theories related to how audiences interact with and are influenced by media texts: - Uses and gratification theory examines how audiences use media to fulfill needs like entertainment, companionship, identity, and surveillance. - Cultivation theory suggests that prolonged media consumption can influence audiences' views of the real world. - Reception analysis holds that audiences interpret media through their social positions like gender, age, class, and ethnicity. - Copycat theory proposes that media can influence individuals' negative behaviors. - Long tail theory describes how the internet has empowered niche audiences through easier access and marketing. - Understanding audiences involves both qualitative and quantitative data from surveys.

1. THEORETICAL EVOLUTIONOF
PRODUCTIONS / AUDIENCE
EVALUATION

2. AudienceTheory
■ Uses of gratification theory:
■ Blumler and Katz 1959
■ Entertainment and diversion = escape
■ Personal companion = media is a friend, caring about the star or cast.
■ Personal identity = how do I fit in?
■ Surveillance = finding out what is happening in the world.
■ Music videos should be entertaining not challenging to watch, branding is engaging
and fits the genre.

3. CultivationTheory:
■ Gerbner and Gross 1975
■ Audience consume media and gradually develop views about the world, some of
which are false.
■ Impacts on the audiences understanding of representation – gender, sexuality, young
people and ethnic groups.
■ Stereotypes influence interpretation through media.The music video “smack your
bitch up” challenges the way of consumption.

4. Reception Analysis:
■ Hall 1980
■ Audiences make sense of media texts according to their social position.
Eg.
– Gender,
– age,
– class,
– ethnic background.

5. Copycat or ModellingTheory
■ Copycat or ModellingTheory:
■ Coleman 2004
■ Audiences are influenced by the media texts they consume.
■ More of an assumption used by journalists to explain an individuals negative behavior.

6. Negative attributes -
LongTailTheory:
■ Anderson 2006
■ This theory describes how the internet has influenced audiences consumption.
■ Since broadband was introduced in 2004, these impacts have been most prominent. –
the volume of state size of audience has fallen as niche audiences re now easy to
market too.
■ The niche audiences are no longer economically unviable.After 2004 niche audiences
became significant.

7. Audience & Data
■ Understanding and constructing your audience:
– Surveys are a beneficial way to understanding your target audience.
■ Qualative data – psychographic information.
■ Quantative data – demographic information.