Audience theory

Below i have summarised what i have read about different audiences theory. While they are not all relevant to my project, it is important to know about all of them so i can comment on why i have chosen to focus on certain ones.

The Hypodermic needle model

• People are directly affected by the media they consume
• They are passive
• The producers of texts are very powerful
• Focuses on negative effects and not positive
• Focuses on women and children, the vulnerable
• Doesn't take into account active viewing and the different ways people use and enjoy the media.

Cultivation theory

• The more an audience consumes parts of the media, the more they develop certain kinds of views about the world. These, many are concerned will be false views.
• An example is, coverage of crime in Crimewatch feeds the perception that crime is increasing
• Acknowledges that people can obtain some views of the world from television
• Notes that the media is an important feature of social lives.
• The influence of these is not measured against the influence of the wider world
• There is more crime in the world for reasons other than the media

Desensitisation

• Exposure to too much fictional violence, desensitises people to real life violence.
• Draws attention to the fact that there is a lot of on-screen violence
• Asks the question of how much exposure to on-screen negative behaviour people and children should have
• It is very difficult to prove long-term effects
• Can one stimulus cause such a huge problem?

Modelling or copycatting

• Kids/people will copy behaviour or actions they see on screen/in the media
• Plays on the insecurities of parents
• Leads to limiting children's viewing of television/consumption of the media.
• Short-term effects are measurable, but long-term ones are not so easy to monitor

Uses and Gratification theory

• People 'read' the media differently according to their personality, upbringing and their position in society.
• The media will affect people if it: confirms or enhances their role or image
• It will not affect their beliefs that have accumulated from life experience
• The audience is thought to be thoughtful, intelligent and able to distinguish between fact and fiction.
• Explores the ways in which the audience use the media
• Life experience is more important and relevant than media experience
• Media is considered as a source of pleasure and therefore a good thing
• It is considered that audience power arguments at made at the expense of the questions of media power or the power of certain texts
• Some theorists have claimed that the media has no influence of effects, which is a little bit silly don't ya think?

Summary

I have come across different areas of each of these theories throughout my research, however some are more relevant than others. I think that the Cultivation theory and perhaps desensitisation or copycat theory are most relevant as i have raised questions over the reasons for gang behaviour, and the potential influences of male role models in the media, e.g. 50 Cent. The uses and gratifications theory will also crop up as a result of my questionnaire, as it will determine whether people mix their ideas of fact and fiction.