4. Task 1: Brainstorm the ways we can define an
audience.
Audience
Age
Class
Gender Race
Religion
Sexuality
Culture
5. KEY TERM – Put this in your book
Demographic
How we classify an audience into age, gender, race and class.
Example: The demographic audience of Paw Patrol is pre-school
children.
6. Task 2: Sort the terms
You have a set of cards that have lots of terms for
audiences. Attempt to match these up to the
definitions and examples.
We will check these at the end of the task.
7. TASK 3: USE THE TERMS
How would you describe the target
audience for this media product?
Write your analysis using the terms from
the last task.
Show your understanding.
8. TASK 3: What you could’ve said
The audience for cosmopolitan is a mass
female audience, I know this as the
magazine covers a range of issues aimed at
women.
The audience is passive as they can only
receive entertainment or information from
the product. They may be able to do more
if they go online.
As this is a print product it is enjoyed by an
individual audience.
9. TASK 4: USE THE
TERMS
How would you describe
the target audience for this
media product?
Write your analysis using
the terms from the last
task.
Show your understanding.
10. TASK 4: What you
could’ve said
YouTube has a mass media audience as it
contains an immense variety of content.
However individual channels within the site
cater to more niche interests.
Its audience are very active, being
encourage to make the content as well as
respond to it (like/share/comment).
The audience can be both group and
individual. Where an individual may view
from their home but becomes a group
when interacting with others through the
site.
11. Task 5: What do these letters mean?
A
B
C1
C2
D
E
These are the categories used by the NRS (National
readership Survey) to classify different types of reader
based on their social status (class) they are often used for
many areas of media.
TASK 5a: Can you now work out what each
letter grade represents?
(4mins)
13. Task 6: Think back…
Consider Cosmopolitan
again.
Can you apply an NRS
rating to the readers of
the magazine?
Justify your classification.
14. Task 6: What you
could’ve said
B, C1&2
Due to the lifestyle aspects of
this magazine and its focus on
spending money it will appeal to
these middle demographics.
It is not high fashion so does not
include A
15. DO NOW:
Come up with a list of reasons that we use and enjoy
media.
17. The big question
What do people do with media?
Rather than
What does media do to people?
18. Blumler and Katz (1974)
Blumler and Katz were two media theorists that came up with
their audience theory known as THE USES AND
GRATIFICATIONS THEORY.
19. Do we understand the title?
USES and GRATIFICATIONS
Uses are reasons that the media can be useful to or used by the
audience.
What might the term GRATIFICATIONS mean?
Gratifications are things that give the audience
pleasure, enjoyment or joy.
20. USE or Gratification?
Some media products will appear below. Decide if each
provides a use or a gratification.
Some media will
provide both!
21. Blumler and Katz broke the theory down into
4 key areas.
Identification • Being able to recognise parts of yourself in what you are seeing.
• Role models.
• Seeing others who reflect your values
Education • Being given information and knowledge.
Entertainment • We use media as a distraction from our daily lives
• We enjoy escapism to alternative ‘worlds’ or ‘stories’.
Social Interaction • Media can provide a spark for discussion.
• The media encourages the audience to get involved with each other.
Complete your table to show examples from the three broad media platforms. Some products may fit more
than one area but try to vary your answers to show your knowledge.
22. Examples for the four areas
Print Broadcast E- Media
Identification Magazines targeted at a
particular age or interest
Fandoms – Potterheads, Twi-hards
etc.
Online communities or gaming
options connecting like minded
people.
Education Newspapers
Leaflets
Documentaries EG Blue Planet Knowledge based games EG
Buzz.
Informative websites.
Entertainment Magazines TV dramas like The Flash.
Most fictional Hollywood films.
Gaming EG Pokémon Go
Social Interaction Big/controversial issues in the
news.
EG: Ebola, elections or war
Big storylines in soap operas
causing discussion.
ALL Social Media Sites
IG, Twitter, FB etc.
23. Watch the clip
Think carefully about the different reactions of the people in
the clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vbQoBpIqfI
24. How does she react and why?
The daughter of the Tapper
family IDENTIFIES with
Musharraf in this product as
she is studying the same
poem.
25. How do they react and why?
The Sadiqi family use this
media product as a spark for
SOCIAL INTERACTION. They
discuss the effect of the
condition on Musharraf.
26. How does he react and why?
Leon IDENTIFIES with the
situation and feels nostalgia as
he used to be a teacher
himself.
27. How does this family react and why?
The Michael family have a
discussion too (SOCIAL
INTERACTION) and are also
really distracted by and drawn
into the story
(ENTERTAINMENT)
28. An Exam Style Question…
Explain why audiences would watch Educating Yorkshire. Use
the Uses and Gratifications Theory in your answer.
12 marks
29. DO NOW
What can you remember about the Uses and Gratifications
Theory?
31. TASK : Individual research task
You are going to select a media product of your choice and do research to identify and
profile its audience. You must:
Explain the demographic audience of the product.
Give evidence to support your ideas.
Apply the relevant parts of the uses and gratifications theory to the product.
Bronze Silver Gold
State the demographic audience of the
product and identify one area of the
theory that fits the product.
Describe the demographic audience of
the product and explain two areas of the
U&G theory that fits the product.
Explain the demographic audience of the
product with supporting evidence and
explain with evidence, two or more areas
of the U&G theory that fit the product.
