1. Unit 6
LO3
As a whole, the media has a massive impact on the public every day of the year. Culture and society
has been moulded around the way that the media industry decides to target and inject their
products/videos in the audienceâs brains. The media industry can be responsible for the effects on
the publicâs nutrition/health care, violence and crime, and even political views and opinions. Each of
these can have an effect on an audience via the use of an advert, music video, documentary etc.
In regards to the music industry, music videos used to accompany and promote an artistâs song can
be hugely effective an influencing on the audience. Lots of different audiences will interpret the
video in different ways, however, the audience that the music video is targeted at will be more
influenced to copy or react in a similar way. For example, 50 cent named his debut studio album âGet
Rich or Die Tryinââ. To the younger members of society, probably male in the socio-economic group
Middle or Working class, this album name would seem cool or ânormalâ. However, older audiences
may see it as glorifying the want for money, and if money is hard to come by, then going to any
measure to obtain money is acceptable. A film was later released with the same title starring 50
Cent, portraying some of the messages from his album songs through the medium of film. A lot of
rap and hip-hop genre music videos are very controversial and regularly have to be edited to be
suitable for audiences of all ages. However, via YouTube or Vimeo, itâs not hard for young people to
find the unedited explicit versions. Even when these types of music videos are shown on âchild
friendlyâ channels such as MTV or Viva, images and motifs such as guns, crime, vandalism, erotic
portrayal of women etc. can all be interpreted differently by different audiences. A parent watching
the video may view these themes and completely disagree with the content and not allow their
children to watch it. A younger member of society, probably a teenage male, may be more inclined
to imitate and copy the actions portrayed in the video. This would most likely be down to the fact
that these elements and themes are almost the norm in modern day music videos. Lastly, a young
child could easily watch the video and become scared. To an innocent mind these videos can really
influence a childâs perception of the world. Obviously, these audiences will be different in terms geo-
demographics as to how the audience will absorb the messages from music videos.
The uses and gratifications theory is probably the most popular approach to understanding mass
communication within media. The theory has a more direct focus on the consumer/audience instead
of its actual message or intent. It does this by asking âwhat people do with mediaâ rather than âwhat
media does to peopleâ (Katz, 1959). The theory assumes that audiences take an active role when it
comes to interpreting and integrating media into their own lives, rather than taking a passive
approach. This theory also believes that audiences are responsible for choosing different types of
media to meet their specific needs and wants. This approach implies that that the audience will use
the media to meet certain gratifications. This in mind, it would indicate that the media industry is
very competitive when it comes to other sources for the audiences gratifications. It is implied that
the uses and gratifications theory has to fulfil one of the following when the audience pick a form of
media; identify, educate, entertain and social interaction. For example, topics such as âwho will win
big brotherâ, spark instant conversations and create social interaction.
2. The Hypodermic Needle theory (also know as the âMagic Bulletâ), is a communications theory that
rooted in the 1930s and is considered by many to be no longer existent. The term âHypodermic
Needleâ is used comes from the idea of direct effect to audiences through mass media. This diagram
known as the two step flow, shows how audiences are
injected with media messages. The two images
(Hypodermic Needle and Bullet) are used to suggest a
powerful and direct flow of messages or information
from the sender to receiver. The Magic Bullet implies
that a bullet of information is shot, by the âmedia gunâ,
into the head of the consumer. Whereas the
Hypodermic needle suggests that the audience are
passively injected with the information. Both of the
imagery used is similar with the same effect, audiences
being instantly being influenced by the messages. This
is where the media is criticised for being dangerous as
the consumer or audience is unable to resist the impact
of the message. Audiences are very vulnerable when it
comes to the media injecting them with information
and it becomes hard for them to believe anything else
when they are spoon fed information without exterior
sources. However, as all audiences are different, everyone will react in a different manner when
given the information, often without realising.
This difference between passive and active consumption is that a passive audience will pay little
attention the messages being broadcasted. It may affect the audience psychologically but most likely
no manifest itself. On the contrary, active consumption is when audiences will go out of their way to
consume text or messages broadcasted from the media.
Eminemâs hit song, âThe Real Slim Shadyâ, has a very controversial music video to accompany it, as do
most of his songs. The song and video combined essentially explain how Eminem is the âbadestâ and
âhardestâ, and even though others may try to imitate him, no one will ever be as good as him. This, in
its self, is a message that may convince young audiences to try and accomplish his level anger and
disagreement with society. Other elements in the video include him mocking other celebrities,
recklessly driving in a car park, mild sexual content, disrespect to women and spitting in peoples
food. All these elements can be viewed differently by different audiences, dependant on their
demographics, geo-demographics and socio-economic grouping. However, as a whole itâs not hard
to identify how a majority of audiences will think of the video. In regards to other Eminem music
videos, this would be considered rather tame. However, a parent of young children would still be
wary of their children viewing some of these scenes due to there explicit content (as well as the
explicit lyrics). In this video, Eminemâs portrayal of an acceptable way to act in society may influence
younger audiences to act in similar way; after all, he is a role model that many young people look up
to. Unfortunately, many other music videos include much more explicit content than this particular
one, and have been argued that these types of video have contributed to the number of crimes
committed by young adults.
