This document discusses different theories of media audiences: 1) It begins by establishing that all media has a target audience and that everyone is part of some audience. Producers use signs and signifiers to establish audiences. 2) There are different types of audiences: mass, niche, individual, active, and passive. Active audiences interpret media themselves while passive audiences may be more susceptible to manipulation. 3) Several audience theories are described: hypodermic needle effect theorizes direct media effects; cultivation theory suggests repeated messages shape beliefs; two-step flow recognizes opinion leaders; and uses and gratification posits that audiences use media to fulfill needs.

1. By Oscar Thomas
AS MEDIA AUDIENCE THEORIES

2. In media and every media text is targeted at a specific audience therefore this
makes audience a very important topic for media studies. Everybody is part of
the audience from people who watch the news to people who spend their days
on social network; everyone is part of an audience. To establish the target
audience the producer may use certain signs and signifiers to create and
establish a certain audience using genre. An audience can consist of people
from different different cultures and backgrounds however usually people
from these different backgrounds will be in different audiences.
OVERVIEW OF AUDIENCE

3. Any specific person or group who consume media texts (in any form such as;
magazines; films; social networks etc…) are part of a specific and selected
audience. There are three main audience groups, thee are:
1. Mass Audience: a group consuming commercial TV programs.
2. Niche audience: people with a unique interest.
3. Individual audience.
4. Active audience: these use media texts for their own purposes this means
they create their own views, opinions and judgments.
5. Passive audience: these audiences believe everything they consume. This
in a way can be seen as brain washing.
TYPES OF AUDIENCE

4. 1. Hypodermic needle effect.
2. Cultivation theory.
3. Two step flow.
4. Reception theory (Encoding/Decoding model)
5. Uses and gratification theory
TYPES OF AUDIENCE THEORIES

5. This theory relates to the audience being passive and was created in the 1950s-
1960s. This theory believes media texts has a direct and immediate effect and
it believes that views are injected into the audience using advertising and
propaganda with the purpose of creating a response.
This theory can be quite dangerous for the audience considering that it will
most likely have a negative impact specifically among teenagers and children
who do not yet create their own thoughts and opinions. This means that video
games and children films can be dangerous for children.
HYPODERMIC NEEDLE EFFECT

6. This is closely linked with the hypodermic needle effect and is in close relation
to the audience being passive. This theory suggest that it takes more than one
message to dissolve into that of the audiences thoughts. An example of this is
the Good4Life adverts that are overly played and create the though that too
much sugar, salt and fat can affect our health. This theory can be both for
good and bad for example a bad affect can be violent videogames such as
GTA can affect what children believe are right and wrong.
CULTIVATION THEORY

7. This is the first theory that relates to the audience as being slightly active but
the leaders opinion (such as the director) are the intermediate to promote a
message, a product or a campaign to their loyal audience. The biggest example
of this is Rupert Murdoch who owns BSKYB and also newspapers such as
The Times and The sun. This means that whatever opinion he wants to
promote this opinion will be fed into the audience. However, usually this
theory reeduces the power of the media but for Rupert Murdoch the number
of media institutions override this.
TWO STEP THEORY

8. This theory also promotes actives audiences and focuses on the audience
decoding an encoded media text. This means that the audience interpret
media texts in their own way. The way in which the audience decode these
messages depend in their ages, nationality or culture. This can create positives
and negatives due to arguments being formed but also allows them to make
their own views.
RECEPTION ANALYSIS

9. The uses and gratification model suggests that media audience is active while
consuming media they have a set of needs, social and psychological. The
audience is using the media which doesn’t have the power to manipulate.
The following link is to a youtube video about this theory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y-h5lNol-0
USES AND GRATIFICATION
THEORY