I hope you will find the audience theories and debates useful on this page.
STUART HALL'S RECEPTION THEORY
Preferred or Dominant
reading – Audience members agree with what they are viewing. They like or enjoy it.
Negotiated reading - the
audience member partly agrees with what the text is offering and broadly
accepts the preferred reading, but sometimes resists and modifies it in a way
which reflects their own position, experiences and interests - this position
involves contradiction.
Oppositional reading –
Audience members are against/disagree/conflict with what they are viewing. They reject the text.
BLUMLER & KATZ'S USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY
Surveillance/Information
·
finding
out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and
the world
·
seeking advice on
practical matters or opinion and decision choices
·
satisfying
curiosity and general interest
·
learning;
self-education
·
gaining a sense
of security through knowledge
Personal Identity
·
finding
reinforcement for personal values
·
finding models of
behaviour
·
identifying with
valued other (in the media)
·
gaining an insight
into one's self
Integration and Social
Interaction
·
gaining
insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
·
identifying with
others and gaining a sense of belonging
·
finding a basis
for conversation and social interaction
·
having a
substitute for real-life companionship
·
helping to carry
out social roles
·
enabling one to
connect with family, friends and society
Escapism/Entertainment
·
escaping, or
being diverted, from problems
·
relaxing
·
getting intrinsic
cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
·
filling time
·
emotional release
HYPODERMIC NEEDLE MODEL
The idea that media texts have an immediate and negative
effect on the behaviour of the audience; the audience are ‘injected’ with
negative messages and values.
GERBNER'S CULTIVATION THEORY
Certain ideas are cultivated or fostered/supported by the media over a period of time, that they become the dominant or hegemonic view.
DESENSITISATION
The idea that audiences view something so much because of the media that they become immune to it. This then means that media texts may be produced to be more shocking, gruesome, gory etc, in order to shock. If you look at how the horror genre has changed over time, it is clear that the years they have become more shocking.
The Effects model; passive vs active audiences
Passive audience - audience that accept without question what the media tells them; quite narrow minded, believe anything....
Active audience - question media texts, approach them with autonomy, don't necessarily believe what they see.
TWO-STEP FLOW THEORY
Media institutions pass on their messages to Opinion Leaders in society, who then spread these on a wide scale. Media products/producers can be seen to be Opinion Leaders; newspaper editors for instance. This is the starting point of the Cultivation theory and hegemony.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
MORAL PANIC
The idea that the media has created such a stir, that audiences respond in a panic; sometimes this may be untrue. One example occurred shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Air Force One, the President's official plan, was taking part in a photo shoot over New York, which meant flying low. The news got hold of this and caused a stir, which in turn, panicked audiences as they though New York was once again under attack.
DYER'S ENTERTAINMENT AND UTOPIA THEORY
Richard Dyer offers us a model which enables us to look at the function of the urge to escape. Dyer proposes that entertainment offers us
something better to escape to (escapism); it takes us away from our own lives
and offers us a utopia.
MODE OF ADDRESS
This refers to how the text addresses the audience:
- formally - use of formal language, perhaps use of titles such as Sir, Madam
- informally - the use of slang and colloquialisms
- directly - the use of pronouns such as you, I, we, us; give the audience a sense of inclusion
- indirectly -
MARXISM
An idea from Karl Marx who was a left wing supporter and requested that there was more equality between the bourgeoisie (ruling class) and the proletariat. He strives for equality.
HEGEMONY
The idea that audiences are passive and only really accept, without question, narrow views from media institutions. Producers dictate messages and values to the audience, which in turn, they think is the norm.
PLURALISM
The idea that all views and beliefs are seen to be represented equally in the media. Audiences are given a range of views and are more active within their decision making.
CULTURAL IMPERIALISM
Often refers to Western or American influences over culture.
MARKET IMPERIALISM
Where audiences dictate the market and what producers should make; producers respond to the needs of the audience.
JOHN FISKE'S FANDOM THEORY
Fiske defines that there are 3 types of fans:
1) Semiotic productivity is when fans use their object of fandom to create social meaning in their own lives (ex. a fan who gains confidence watching his or her favorite character on TV).
2) Enunciative productivity is when fans express their fandom to the outside world through speech or appearance (ex. fans wearing their favorite team's jerseys).
3) Textual productivity is when fans create texts based on their object of fandom (ex. fan fiction).
https://systemsofideas.wordpress.com/tag/john-fiske/
DAVID GAUNTLETT'S PICK AND MIX THEORY
Gauntlett argues that audience now have more power and in turn can pick and mix the media that they want to consume. Due to the amount of choice that is on offer to them too, it makes sense that institutions do not necessarily dictate what audiences should consume - they make their own choice. This can be true for things like TV catch-up facilities or recording of live TV; audiences can pick and choose what to watch and when to watch it.
