The document discusses several theories about audiences and their relationship to media institutions and messages. It presents perspectives that view audiences as either passive receivers of media messages or more active interpreters. Specifically, it outlines theories of passive audiences, such as the hypodermic needle theory and cultivation theory, as well as active audience theories like uses and gratifications theory and reception theory, which acknowledge that audiences can interpret media messages in negotiated or oppositional ways.

1. AUDIENCE

2. AUDIENCE THEORY
When studying the media it is important to recognise that all media
operate within the context of institutions and audiences.
Institution AudienceMedia
A traditional view of this relationship is that the industry
creates a message which is transmitted via the media
and is received by the audience. The audience is passive.
More recent views of this relationship suggest
that the audience is more active, and that the
industry responds to the demands of the viewers.
Institution Audience
Media
triangulated

3. There are several theories which we can apply to explain to
what extent the audience is passive or active.
THE AUDIENCE IS PASSIVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol3NRuMOEGk
This is one of the simplest models used to explain the way the media
can have an effect on the audience.
It assumes that the audience are passive and that all members of the
audience group are the same and respond in similar ways.
It states that the media has a direct influence on the audience and it
‘injects’ its beliefs and values directly into the viewers or readers.
For example, if someone watches violence, it will make them behave
violently or accept violent behaviour.
OR in the case of War of the Worlds it can create mass hysteria
Hypodermic Syringe Theory

4. THE AUDIENCE IS PASSIVE
Cultivation Theory - Gerbner
This theory considers the way the media affects attitudes rather
than behaviour.
The media is seen as part of our socialisation process, communicating
‘appropriate’ attitudes and the norms and values of the culture.
According to this theory, while any one media text does not have too
much effect, repeated exposure to certain ideas and values may make
the audience less critical of the ideas presented as they appear ‘normal’.

5. The key ideas here are that:
• Through repetition attitudes, ideas and values may become
normalised or naturalised; they are accepted rather than
Considered
• Through repetition the audience may become desensitised
towards negative and/or violent representations
THE AUDIENCE IS PASSIVE
Often more vulnerable groups are a main consideration within
this approach.
For example, children are often seen to need protection from
the cultivation of certain ideas and values.
This concern has led to the banning of fast food advertising
during children’s TV programming, responding to recent
concerns regarding nutrition and childhood obesity.
The limiting of media images has removed the representation
of a positive attitude towards fast-food from the media.

6. Uses and Gratifications Theory
The audience selects what they take from the media, they choose
what gratifies them. The audience use media for 4 key things:
INFORMATION
ENTERTAINMENT
IDENTITY
RELATIONSHIPS
It is assumed that different members of the
audience will use the media for different things
Red or Blue?
THE AUDIENCE IS ACTIVE

7. http://www.youtube.com/user/BTCampaigns#p/u/2/grBsBIxmvRk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/
Big Brother

8. AUDIENCE AND IDEOLOGICAL READINGS
The audience may interpret media texts in different ways depending on
their social situation, cultural reference points, age, nationality, political
affiliations, religious beliefs etc
We can identify 3 interpretations which are constructed by Stuart Hall in the
RECEPTION THOERY.
DOMINANT READING (or ‘hegemonic’)
most people will read the text in the way it was intended by the producers
NEGOTIATED READING
audience sees dominant reading but also alternatives
OPPOSITIONAL READING
minority audience reject dominant reading in favour of oppositional
interpretation

9. McDonalds want you to think....

10. You may agree
Or.....
You may disagree

11. Or.....
You may think that big macs do taste good,
but I’ll only have them every now and again

12. So here we have three separate readings of
that one advert

13. In 1980 David Morley did a study of
audience responses when watching
the BBC TV show Spotlight. As a
result of his research, he decided that
audiences tend to fall into three
groups based on their interpretation
of the text.....
Preferred Reading
Negotiated Reading
Oppositional Reading

14. The preferred
reading is the
reading media
producers hope
audiences will take
from the text.

15. Audience members from
outside the target
audience may reject the
preferred reading,
receiving their own
alternative message.

16. Negotiated reading is when
audiences acknowledge
the preferred reading, but
modify it to
suit their own values and
opinions.

17. Mainstream
Prime time scheduling, mass audience,
wide appeal, large commercial potential,
conforming, long-running
Cult
Off peak scheduling, niche audience,
narrow appeal, small commercial
potential, subversive, may become
mainstream