The uses and gratifications model views the audience as active. It proposes that people seek out media to fulfill certain needs, such as information, personal identity, integration, and entertainment. The theory suggests audiences purposefully choose media that will meet their needs and get what they want from it. However, the model has been criticized for implying audiences will all interpret information the same and that everyone consumes media for identical reasons, rather than individual opinions and purposes potentially varying.

1. Theory: Uses and gratifications Model
Theorists: Harold Lasswell, Bulmer and Katz, Dennis McQuail
What is the theory?
This theory explains why people what they get from the media that
they consume and why they consume it in the first place. It also aims to
find out how this audience will spend their time finding media which
not only enjoy but will meet their needs.
McQuail said that people use media for 4 purposes, information,
personal identity, integration and entertainment.
Does this theory see the audience as active or passive? Why do you
think this?
This theory suggests that the audience takes a much more active role in
the way that they consume their media and the way that they find it,
rather than just watching whatever’s on TV, they may get Netflix so
that they can look for specific shows.
What are the criticisms of this theory?
The theory implies that the audience will all read the information as the
same, and does not take into account that peoples opinions may differ.
It also assumes that everyone in the audience goes to things for the
same reason. For example, it is safe to assume that people watch Game
of Thrones for entertainment. But you never know, they may watch it
for information, for example, to make a review.
Apply the theory:
If you wanted to know the news , you would turn on the TV or go on
the internet and go to BBC news. This is the information part of the
theory that McQualil suggested in 1987 .-