The document discusses theories about the relationship between audiences and media. It describes the media system dependency theory, which states that the more a person depends on media to meet needs, the more important and influential media will be. It also outlines uses and gratification theory, which views audiences as active in choosing media to fulfill needs like information, entertainment, and social interaction. Based on these theories, the document analyzes different types of relationships people can have with media, such as dependent, observational, social, and escapist.

1. Can’t Live Without It!
Our relationship with the media
by. Ichsan Rasyid
CONTENT
 Prologue
 Learning from media theories
 Media system dependencies theory
 Uses and gratification theory
 Thoughts on ‘audience – media’ relationship

2. Prologue
Why ‘audience – media’ relationship?

3. Prologue
Today’s media development enrich
people’s option of daily media
consumption. Indeed,it’s pretty
much cluttered and fragmented,
and it’s because they’re having a
private affair.
PEOPLE CHOOSE
MEDIA FOR A REASON

4. Prologue
Conventional Media Online Media Social Media
Television, Radio, Magazine,
Newspaper, Out of Home
Search Engine, Websites,
Blogs
Social Networks, Microblog,
vlog, podcast, etc
TV Channel (Cable, Terrestrial,
Internet Protocol), Print Media
Group, Integrated Media
Group, Radio Channel.
Search Engine Portal, Online
News Portal, E-Commerce
Portal, etc
Social Networks Sites,
Microblog sites, online forum
sites, etc
Advertising spot, advertorial
spot, build in program, adlibs,
etc
Online Banner, Rich Media
Banner, Microsite, Advertorial,
etc
Online Forum, social media
application, viral video, etc
That is why it is very
relevant to talk about
‘relationship’ as
individual
respectively develop
ties with certain
medium.
MANY
OPTIONS FOR
INDIVIDUAL

5. Learning from media theory
Media system dependency theory
What the theory said?

6. #1 Media System Dependency
MEDIA SYSTEM DEPENDENCY
THEORY (MSDT), developed by Sandra
Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur (1976), a
‘large scale, suprasystem’ theory that
explain the relationship between media,
society, individual, and its effect. Naturally,
it should be studied in the context of a
larger social system, however the the basic
dependency hypothesis states that...THE
MORE A PERSON DEPENDS ON MEDIATO
MEET NEEDS, THE MORE IMPORTANT
MEDIA WILL BE IN A PERSON'S LIFE, AND
THEREFORE THE MORE EFFECTS MEDIA
WILL HAVE ON A PERSON.
SOCIETY
(Degree of structural
stability varies)
MEDIA
(Number and centrality of
info function varies)
AUDIENCE
(Degree of dependency on
media information varies)
EFFECT
(Cognitive, Affective,
Behavioral)
However, audience’s dependency depart from
their needs and conditions.

7. #1 Media System Dependency
MEDIA
(Number and centrality of
info function varies)
AUDIENCE
(Degree of dependency on
media information varies)
According to Ball-Rokeach and
DeFleur, three media needs
determine how important
media is to a person at any
given moment:
• The need to understand
one's social world
(surveillance)
• The need to act
meaningfully and effectively
in that world (social utility)
• The need to escape from
that world when tensions
are high (fantasy-escape)
The theory also said two
specific conditions where
dependency for media are
high: 1) media centrality, and
2) in case of social change/
conflict/ movement.

8. Learning from media theory
Uses and gratification theory
What the theory said?

9. #2 Uses and Gratification
Uses and Gratification theory (UGT) is
an approach to understanding why
and how people actively seek out
specific media to satisfy specific needs
Differ from other media effect
theories, its basic assumption gives
the consumer power to discern what
media they consume, with the
assumption that the consumer has a
clear intent and use.
Different from the previous theory that said the audience depend to the media, UGT
conceived the audience as active which deliberately choose their media consumption
based on their needs. So, what are the needs?

10. #2 Uses and Gratification
Goals for media use can be grouped into
five uses:
• Be informed or educated
• Identify with characters of the
situation in the media environment
• Simple entertainment
• Enhance Social Interaction
• Escape from the stresses of daily life
McQuail, Denis (2010). Mass communication theory: an
introduction. London: Sage Publications. pp. 420–430.
ISBN 1849202923.

11. Thoughts on ‘audience – media’ relationship
What we can conclude from the theory?

12. Relationship with the Media
From the MSDT, at least I can learn that people
develop these two relationship with the media.
1.The Lamb - Sheperd Relationship
2.TheTherapist Relationship
And from the UGT, at least I can also learn that
people develop these four types of relationship
with the media.
3.The Student –Teacher Relationship
4.The Observer Relationship
5.The Liaison Officer Relationship
6.TheTherapist Relationship (same as MSDT)

13. Relationship with the Media
The Lamb - Sheperd Relationship
The world is a strange place. Media provide information to the
audience about this strange world on how to behave, how to
interact, what to do, what is appreciated, why do and dont do
this, and etc In the context of social life, media subtly tells
audience what’s cool, what to wear, what to eat, where to go,
and etc. In the context of social change/ conflict/ movement,
frequently media tells the audiences who to hate, who to love,
what to support, why we should do it, and etc.
This relationship can be established not only because of social movement and media centrality like
the MSDT said, community fanaticism, psycological condition, and mundane individual fantasy could
take someone into this type of relationship. For instance, the consertives and Fox News, youth and
MTV, moms and infotainment, and pornography.

14. Relationship with the Media
TheTherapist Relationship
As the degree of stress heighten,thus audiences use media to escape
from their stressful world. Audience consume media for the sake of
stress relief.
For instance, watching How I MetYour Mother (Sitcom) in the
weekend, listening to radio while driving back home, browsing
youtube videos in between administrative works, or reading jokes
column in the newspaper.
The Student –Teacher Relationship
The UGT consider audience as an active party when interact when
media. Audience use the media to equipped themselves with
knowledge on current issue, science, and social situation. In this
relationship, the audience “play” themselves as student who’s
actively look for information, guidance, hints, and etc to their
teacher (media).

15. Relationship with the Media
The Observer Relationship
For some people, learning can be done by observation. Different
from the diligent student, who’s very active seeking specific
information from the media, an observer tend to turn on theTV,
radio, online news portal, or newspaper and simply scan the
headline of today’s news or information.They just need to get a
glimps of what happen today.
The Liaison Officer Relationship
Today’s people use media to be more social. It enable geek to be “cool” and
even can give them “persona” to interact with the world.The most current
example of media’s social facilitation is the avatar, where one can have an
online identity (could be different from the real identity) and confidently make
conversation with the others.

16. CONCLUSION
ACTIVE PASSIVE
SUBSTANTIAL
INSUBSTANTIAL
Lamb - Sheperd
Observer
Therapist
Liaison Officer
Student –Teacher
At least from the the two theories, I can drawn this degree of
activeness. However, the quality of media consumptionv(in
term of content and context) in each relationship can be vary.
What kind of relationship are you having right now?
Whatever your type is, MAKE SURE ITS BENEFICIAL.
THEQUESTIONOFCONTENTQUALITY

17. Thanks!

18. Image Links
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▪ http://catchwork.co.uk/wp-
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▪ http://www.dockhs.org/filerequest/
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▪ http://alleecreative.com/wp-
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