This document discusses several theories of audience analysis: - The target audience refers to the intended recipients of a media text, defined by demographics and psychographics. - Uses and gratifications theory examines why audiences consume certain media, such as for entertainment, social relationships, identity, or information. - Two-step flow theory suggests information spreads from media to opinion leaders and then to less active associates. - The hypodermic needle model views audiences as passive recipients vulnerable to manipulation by media producers. - Reception theory holds that individuals interpret media differently based on their own experiences and ideologies. - These theories can help explain why audiences enjoy horror films, as a safe way to experience violence and share emotions.

1. Lydia Bedding
AUDIENCE INVESTIGATION

2. An audience are the people who the media text is aimed at: target audience.
These are the type of people that consume the media product. Audiences can be sorted into
certain categories such as the demographics and psychographics of the target market.
WHAT IS AN AUDIENCE?
Demographics Psychographics
Age Hobbies
Gender Interests
Religion
Spending power
Socio-economic
I have presented audience theories and explained why
audiences chose different media texts such as horror films
and how the audience take in information.

3. Bulmer and Katz developed this theory in 1974. This is the idea that audiences
use certain media texts for the following reasons;
- Entertainment/Diversion
- Social relationships
- Personal identity
- Information/Surveillance
USES AND GRATIFICATION

4. Lazarsfeld, Berelson and Gaudet analysed the decisions made by the voters
during the 1940 presidential election campaign and published their results in
‘The Peoples Choice’.
Their findings that the information does not flow directly from the media text
into the minds of the target audience unmediated, and that it is already filtered
through opinion leaders who communicate it to their less active associates,
over who the leaders have influence.
TWO STEP FLOW

5. From the 1920’s this theory was the first attempt to explain the way in which
mass audiences react to media products. This theory states the way that
information is absorbed into the brain without thought.
The consumer is vulnerable from being manipulated by producers of media
texts. Resulting in the consumer accepting dominant ideologies as the norm.
HYPODERMIC SYRINGE MODEL

6. Research was conducted 30 years ago on how individual people receive and
interpret different media texts. And whether individual circumstances such as
age, gender etc. affect their readings.
Stuart Hall concluded that audiences take their own theories from a media text
as people are all different, therefore they all have different ideologies.
RECEPTION THEORY

7. Audience theories such as the ones I have mentioned can be relatable to the
horror genre. This includes many people believing that from the ‘Hypodermic
Syringe Model’ if someone is to watch a violent horror film they will go on to
commit the violent actions they have seen in real life. This perception has lead
to the banning of films such as the original ‘Exorcist’ in the past.
Although, studies have argued that this theory allows the consumer to gain the
feelings of committing crimes without actually having to commit them,
therefore it satisfies the consumer. It allows the consumer to share the
experience with others and gain a sense of empathy.
HOW THEY RELATE TO THE
HORROR GENRE