In 1948, Lasswell proposed that media served four functions: surveillance, correlation, entertainment, and cultural transmission. Bulmer and Katz expanded on this, proposing the "uses and gratifications" theory that individuals choose media to fulfill certain needs like diversion, personal relationships, personal identity, and surveillance. For example, a magazine like Top of the Pops allows readers to relax and learn about celebrities for diversion, feel connected through gossip for relationships, see reflections of themselves for identity, and get celebrity updates for surveillance. The uses and gratifications theory remains influential in understanding why people engage with various media.

1. Lauren Menage

2. In 1948 Lasswell suggested a theory that the media had different functions for
individuals and the society. These were
• Surveillance
• Correlation
• Entertainment
• Cultural transmission
Bulmer and Katz (re-searchers) expanded on this theory and came up with their
own- the ‘Uses and Gratification’ theory. They said that individuals might
choose a media text for one of the following reasons. (uses and gratification)
 Diversion – to escape from everyday complications or problems and to relax
 Personal Relationships – using media for emotional and other interaction i.e.
replacing soaps for family life
 Personal Identity – finding reflections of yourself in the media text and
learning behaviour and values from this
 Surveillance – gathering information which may be useful for everyday living
– the news, weather reports, etc.
The Uses and Gratifications theory has since, been extended as we now use the
internet, games, magazines etc. for uses and gratification.

3. PERSONAL
DIVERSION: Top Of RELATIONSHIPS: by
The Pops magazine reading about celebs
allows the young and gossip in TOTP
readers to forget magazine you can
about what's keep up to date with
happening around your friends, peers
them and they can and family.
relax and read about
the celebs they like
and all the gossip and
music around them.
PERSONAL IDENTITY:
In TOTP magazine
they often try to get
SURVEILLANCE: the reader involved
TOTP magazine whether its using
allows the the word ‘We’ or
audience to get the containing parts in
latest information the magazine to do
on celebrities and with some of the
their lifestyles. In readers. Young
this issue we will readers could also
get the updates on just find a celeb in
One Direction and TOTP that relates to
other celebs them or is similar to
featured. them.