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In media industry, audience is the most important part of the whole production.
Without audiences, media products lost their basic values. And by studying
audiences, we can see the effect the media can have on them and understand
why audiences choose to consume certain texts convey by producers and how
they consume them.
Audiences normally can be defined by different elements, including gender,
age, nationality, sexuality, region or morals, education and socio-economic
group, which is also called class in a simpler way. Besides, some audiences are
passive, while others are active. Passive audiences are easily led, influenced
and manipulated. They dont question the texts and are always gullible as sheep-
like fashion followers. Active audiences are more willing to interact with the texts
given by the producers and always questioning them. This kind of audiences are
the ones in control and free willed. They are engaged with their own opinions and
response to the texts in different ways.
Different audiences are for different media texts. Although not all audiences
response the same, todays audiences are still positioned and manipulated by
media producers.
The second theory is called Uses and Gratification Model. Audiences are
opposed to those in the Hypodermic Needle Theory. They are active. Instead of
being used by the media text, these audiences use the text to fulfill their certain
needs and gain the pleasure. These needs include information or called
surveillance, personal identity (self-surveillance), social interaction and
entertainment. Information (surveillance) is the need for people to know what is
going on the world. Personal identity (self-surveillance) means that define
ourselves by comparing own lifestyles and situations with those in the media.
Social interaction means the use of media to find and communicate with those
kindred spirits. Entertainment is another need for these audiences. They use
media texts for distraction and escapism to make them escape from the real life.
This theory is linked to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, which is a theory focusing
on the observation of human innate motivation in psychology, and developed by
Jay Blumler and Elihu Katz in 1970s.
Uses and Gratification model is audience-centered approach to mass media.
In short, in this model, audiences is in control and use the media texts to please
themselves. For instance, when people go to the cinema, they always choose to
spend their money on watching the film they like depending on their own moods
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and choices. Audiences have the power over the media producers and play an
active role of incorporating these texts into their own lives to meet their desires.
However, the weakness of this theory is that it underestimate the importance
and power of the media. Audience might not always be active while the media
text can influence their needs and gratification without consciousness.
The third
theory
is
them, which may be resulted from their ages, gender, religion and other factors.
Negotiated reading refers to that audiences put their own understanding and
opinions on the text. Audiences accept some of the text and negotiate about the
things they didnt accept before. It is more common to see negotiated reading in
a political speech. People who are disinterested in any party may either agree or
disagree these political opinions. For example, the reviews rating about The
Neon Demon is 6.3, which is not quite high. This film is disputable, where the
director express lots of his ideas and opinions about the dark and ugly side of the
entertainment circle. The contrast of light and shadow and color are fantastic
like a piece of art for some professional directors. However, for other audiences,
this kind of lighting and composition look dizzy and cheap. Some of them
rate it as the best film ever, while others think it is the worst movie he has ever
seen. And a part of audiences agree that is visually stunning but without
substance, especially the mountain lion in Jesses room which looks surreal but a
bit ridiculous.
Nowadays, as we get into the information age, social media, this web-based
communication tool, becomes a more and more important part of our lives. For
some people, especially the youth, social media even replaces the traditional
press and media (newspaper, radio and TV) in their daily lives. We use or hear
the information from social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Snapchat, YouTube and Reddit. Every day, we will receive millions of media texts
from different social media platforms. And audiences who browse these
texts may be affected by them from different
aspects.
better of out with a star quit from other symbolizes Brexit. And this may
influence viewers again visually in a more direct way. Vote for leave. The
supporters of this claim keep spreading their opinions in Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and social media platforms by using powerful, emotional and strong
words to affect the public. In several months, the leave camp has built
momentum online and setting the tone of the debate across all the major social
media platforms. One of the biggest reason of the victory of leave camp is
There is another example of how media texts can influences passive audiences
not only from political aspect but a more serious way. These years, Russian police
has investigate an increasing number of twisted social media groups than
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manipulate teenagers to take their own life. And that has already caused
hundreds of teenagers deaths. These producers in the group create texts in the
way teenagers normally use and keep telling and convincing the girls they are
fat and boys are losers. That is why they are chosen in another world. By
keep injecting this twisted thought to victims day by day, these teenagers
become compliant and start believe what they are told (they are rubbish) and
start do what they are told to do (kill themselves).
However, most of the audiences and viewers now are tended to be active rather
than being controlled by media. In many cases, we can see the application of
Uses and Gratification Model. Audiences use social media for different reason to
fulfill their different needs.
Nowadays, people using social media are diverse because of different age,
gender, sexuality, nationality, social background and other elements. More and
more people become active to interact with media texts. And each of them may
give different responses to the message hidden in media texts by producers
based on their cultural, social and economic background. Some of them give the
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Resource:
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypodermic_needle_model
https://www.slideshare.net/HannahCharlesMedia/hypodermic-needle-theory-
29639628
http://www.referendumanalysis.eu/eu-referendum-analysis-2016/section-7-social-
media/impact-of-social-media-on-the-outcome-of-the-eu-referendum/
https://www.slideshare.net/dphillips4363/reception-theory-presentation