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1. Audience theory
What isaudience?
 All mediaproductshave atarget audience
 Theyalsosometimestrytoconstruct an audience
 Productscan have a massaudience ora niche audience
The firstaudience theory:The Frankfurt School
 The Frankfurtschool (1920s/30s) were concernedaboutthe possible effectsof massmedia
 Theyproposedthe “effects”model,whichconsideredsocietytobe composedof isolated
individualswhowere susceptibletomediamessages.
 Theyenvisionedthe mediaasa hypodermicsyringe
 Its contents(attitudes,opinions,beliefs)are injectedintothe audiencewhoacceptit
withoutquestion.
The secondarytheory:The two stepflow
 DevelopedbyLazarsfeldandKatzinthe 1940s and 1950s
Two steps:
 First- opinionleadersgetinformationfromamediasource
 Second- opinionleadersthenpassthe information,alongwiththeirinterpretation,toothers
(friends,family,acquaintances,etc.)
 Strengths:Audiencesare active andseenasa part of a society
 Limitations:More thantwostepsin the flow of communication?
 Social mediaandus sharingitand causingit to trendisevolutionof the twosteptheory
Uses andGratifications (1974):
 Duringthe 60s is the firstgenerationtogrow up withtelevisions
 It became increasinglyapparenttomediatheoriststhataudiencesmade choicesaboutwhat
theydidwhenconsumingtexts
 Audiencesweremade upof individualswhoactivelyconsumedtextsfordifferentreasons
and indifferentways
 ResearchesBlulmerandKatzexpandedthistheoryandpublishedtheir ownin1974, stating
that individualsmightchoose anduse atextforthe followingpurposes:
1. Diversion- escapeformeverydayproblemsandroutine
2. Personal relationships- usingthe mediaforemotional andotherinteractione.g.
substitutingsoapoperasfor familylife
3. Personal identity- findingyourself reflectedintexts,learningbehaviourandvaluesfrom
texts
4. Surveillance- informationwhichcouldbe useful forlivinge.g.weatherreports,financial
news,holidaybargains
 Since then,the listof usesand gratificationshasbeenextended, particularly asnew
mediaforms have come alonge.g.videogames,the internet

2. Applyingusesandgratifications
Example:spice girls -wannabe
Uses andGratifications Example How doesitappeal to the
audience
Diversion:Entertainmentand
escapism
It’sa musicvideoandwe all
justwatchedit
Clothing,dance routine,party
appealingtoteengirls
Personal relationships Knewwhoall the spice girls
are,superfans
posters,magazines
Personal identity Causingmischief and
tormentingothergueststhere
Copy theirbehaviour,relating
to one of the spice girls
Surveillance andinformation NA NA
DavidMorley
1980s, The NationwideAudience,DavidMorleysuggestthatthere are three maindifferentkindsof
‘reading’ audiencememberscanproduce:
1) Dominant (or ‘hegemonic) reading- The readersharesthe programmes‘code’andfully
acceptsthe programmes‘preferredreading’ e.g.BBCNews –just take inthe information
and believe it
2) Negotiatedreading- the readerpartlysharesthe programme’scode andbroadlyacceptsthe
preferredreading,butmodifiesitinaway whichreflectstheirpositionandinterests e.g.
agree withmostof the informationbutstill have yourownopinion
3) Oppositional (‘counter-hegemonic) reading- the readerdoesnotshare the programme’s
code and rejectsthe preferredreading, startinganalternativeframe of interpretation e.g.
documentarieswiththeirview whichwe disagreewith