The uses and gratifications model explains why audiences seek out and consume certain media. It posits that audiences are active, selecting media to fulfill specific needs like information, entertainment, social interaction, and reinforcing personal identity. The model was developed by theorists like Harold Lasswell, Bulmer and Katz, and Dennis McQuail, who identified four main reasons for media consumption: information, personal identity, integration and social interaction, and entertainment. A key criticism is that the model assumes audiences will interpret media in the same way and have identical motivations, rather than recognizing individual differences in opinions and reasons for consumption.

1. Theory: Uses and gratifications Model
Theorists: Harold Lasswell, Bulmer and Katz, Dennis McQuail
What is the theory?
This theory explains why people what they get from the media that
they consume and why they consume it in the first place. It also aims to
find out how this audience will spend their time finding media which
not only enjoy but will meet their needs.
There are three sets of categories set out by three different theorists.
The most useful one is set out by Dennis McQuail, which tells us why
the audience consumes the media that it does. There are 4 parts to the
theory set out by McQuail.
1) Information- this is pretty self explanatory. The audience will use
media for information when they want to find something out, for
example, watching or reading the news to find out what is
happening in the world.
2) Personal identity- this is to reinforce certain values or behaviours
shown by the audience. For example, someone may read a
certain newspaper to back up their own ideologies when it
comes to politics.
3) Integration and social interaction- this is where you consume a
form of media to understand a certain group of people or
cultures. This could also mean that you yourself identify with
that culture. For example, someone from Britain could watch
Straight Outta Compton in order to understand that culture and
those people.
4) Entertainment- this is another one which is pretty self
explanatory, this states that people consume media just for the
enjoyment.
Does this theory see the audience as active or passive? Why do you
think this?
This theory suggests that the audience takes a much more active role in
the way that they consume their media and the way that they find it,
rather than just watching whatever’s on TV, they may get Netflix so
that they can look for specific shows.

2. What are the criticisms of this theory?
The theory implies that the audience will all read the information as the
same, and does not take into account that peoples opinions may differ.
It also assumes that everyone in the audience goes to things for the
same reason. For example, it is safe to assume that people watch Game
of Thrones for entertainment. But you never know, they may watch it
for information, for example, to make a review.
Apply the theory:
A part of McQuails theory was personal identity. To find identity within
a piece of media you may look to art, such as paintings in order to
identify with what is going on in the frame. This could just be a feeling
or it could have an important cultural meaning.