this is a slideshow talking about the 3 theories

1. Audience Theory
Kirsty Reeve

2. There are 3 theories of audience that can be applied to
help us to get a better understanding about the
relationship between texts and the audience.
The Effects Model or the Hypodermic Model
The Uses and Gratifications
Reception Theory

3. The Effects Model
The intake of media texts has an effect on the
audience
This effect is normally considered to be negative
The audience has now power over the influence so
they cannot prevent it

4. The Hypodermic Model
 The message in the media texts are ‘injected’ into the
audience by the powerful media
 The audience has no power and cannot resit
 The media acts like a drug and the audience become addicted

5. Hypodermic Needle
Media messages are
‘injected’ to the audience
The audience accepts the
message without
questioning it (passive)
Direct Effect Criticism of the Hypodermic
Needle
- It doesn’t allow for rejection of
the media messages
- Simplistic

6. The Effects Model
 This model contributes to Moral Panics
 The media produce inactivity
 The media also produce violent ‘copycat’ behaviour as well as
mindless shopping for product seen on advertisements.

7. The Uses and Gratifications Model
 THIS IS THE OPPOSITE TO THE EFFECTS MODEL
 The audience is active
 The audience isn’t used by the text the audience uses it
 The audience uses the text for its own pleasure

8. ….
 Blumer and Katz suggest that we as an audience need media for the following:
 Information
 Personal identity
 Social interaction
 entertainment

9.  The power lies with the audience rather than the producers
 This emphasises how and why audiences use media texts
 The audience is free to reject, use or play with the media message

10. …
 The audience therefore uses media texts to fulfil their needsfor:
 Diversion
 Escapism
 Information
 Pleasure
 Comparing relationships and lifestyles with their own

11. Uses and Gratifications
 The audience is in control and consumption of the media helps people to deal with
certain issues like:
 Learning
 Emotional satisfaction
 Relaxation
 Help with issues of personal identity
 Social identity
 Issues of aggression and violence

12. Reception Theory
 This theory suggests that when a producer is constructing a text it is encoded with
a message/meaning
 Some times the audience will decode the message correctly and understand what
the producer wanted to convey.
 However some people may not uinderstand/decode the message

13.  Stuart Hall identified 3 different types of audience decoding
they are:
 Dominant
 This is where the audience decodes the message, understands
and agrees with what the producer wanted to get across
 For example when watching the opening of a thriller you have
sympathy towards the main character

14. Negotiated
 This is where the audience accepted or rejects the text in light
of previous views
 For example accepting the fact that the opening of a thriller is
trying to create suspense but the acting means that they can’t
believe the message

15. Oppositional
 This is where the dominant meaning is recognised but
rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons
 For example total rejection of the opening to a thriller film,
where non effective props are being used in a serious scene,
for example a toy gun to threaten or kill a character