The document discusses several theories around media audiences: 1) Passive audience theory sees audiences as inactive consumers of media messages who accept messages without challenge. 2) Active audience theory sees audiences as more complex, making choices about what media to consume based on needs and using media texts for their own purposes. 3) Cultivation theory and the hypodermic model both treat audiences as passive, but cultivation theory argues long-term exposure shapes attitudes, while the hypodermic model says media directly influences audiences.