Friday 9 October 2015

Audience Theory Revision notes .......



Theories that are related to Audience…


The Hypodermic needle theory…


The hypodermic needle theory is a model of communication suggesting that an intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver, like a needle.

The hypodermic needle theory implies the mass media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect on the audience. The mass media in the 1940s and 1950s were perceived as a powerful influence on behavior change.

Factors that contributed to the theory’s strong effects:
_ The fast rise and popularisation of TV and Radio,
_ The emergence of the persuasion industries, such as advertising and propaganda,
_ Hitler’s monopolization of the mass media during WWII to unify the German public behind the Nazi Party.

The theory suggests that the mass media influences a large audience directly by ‘injecting’ them with appropriate messages that are designed to trigger a desired response.



They express the view that the media is a dangerous means of communication of an idea because the audience is powerless and can’t resist the message.

The two-step flow model..

The hypodermic needle theory proposes that the media has a direct and powerful influence.. The two-step flow theory informs us as the audience that the mass media is more complex than we first thought it was (compared to the hypodermic needle theory.)






Uses and gratification (Blumler and Kats – 1974)
This theory is related to the pleasure that the media brings to the audience.
-       Diversion – A form of escape from the audiences everyday lives.
-       Personal relationship – Companionship through identification and with TV characters and sociability through discussion about TV with other people.
-       Personal identity – This is the ability to compare one’s own life with the character that is the scene and to be able to explore their problems and relate them to your own.
-       Surveillance – Information about what is happening in the world around you.

Hierarchy of needs (Maslow 1954)
This theory shows how people see media and try and find objects that relate to them. It shows how people need to fulfill certain needs in their lives, which are displayed in a triangle to show their importance to the person (the bottom being the most important, the top being the least.)
-       Physiological needs – Food, drink, sleep, sex, relief from pain.
-       Safety needs – Security, protection, and freedom from danger.
-       Love and belonging – Friends, family, being a part of a group.
-       Esteem – Respect, confidence, and self-worth.
-       Sefl-actualisation – To fulfill one’s potential, discover truth and create beauty.

Utopian theory (Dyer -1977)
In this theory Dyer suggested that we don’t live in a perfect world but that perfect world is ‘Utopia’. The theory suggests that real people watch frictional texts as a from of escapism and diversion from their own lives.
           
            Real life          -           Utopia
            Exhaustion     -           Energy
            Scarcity           -           Abundance
            Dreariness     -           Intensity
            Dishonesty     -           Transparency

            Isolation         -           Community.

Monday 5 October 2015

Audience profile



This video shows mine and my partners audience profile and who we have to produce our products for.