Hypodermic Needle Model
This suggests that the information from a text passes into the mass consciouness of the audience unmediated, ie the experience, intelligence and opinion of an individual are not relevant to the reception of the text. This theory suggests that, as an audience, we are manipulated by the creators of media texts, and that our behaviour and thinking might be easily changed by media-makers. It assumes that the audience are passive.
Blumler & Katz – Uses and Gratifications Theory
This theory assumes the audience is active rather than passive and it emphasises what the audiences of media texts do with and why approach them initially them rather than what the media does to the audience. The Uses and Gratifications theory suggests that individuals and social groups use texts in different ways and the audience are no longer viewed as passive receivers.
The identified needs of the audience we later refined as:
Entertainment & Diversion – as a form of escapism
Personal relationships/ social interaction – identification with characters and being able to discuss media texts with others
Personal identity – the ability to compare your life with that of characters and situations presented in media texts
Information/Education – to find out and learn about what is going on in the world
Uses and Gratification and Dependency + Analysis of Funny Games
Uses and Gratification and Dependency + Analysis of Funny Games
David Buckingham – The Creative Audience
David Buckingham conducted a number of research studies into audiences. His work demonstrated that young people use the media to help make sense of their experiences, of relating to others and in organising their daily lives.
“The media offer material for experimentation with alternative social identities, if only at the level of fantasy or aspiration’
Buckingham believes it is essential to situate young people’s media use within the context of their other social activities and experiences due to the fact that many young people are using the media as a wallpaper: a wall of noise to fill up ‘down time’ or just to pass the time due to boredom. That many of their interactions with the media are not contrived, commited or concentrated but fleeting, visceral and meaningless.
For Althusser, interpellation works in a manner much like giving a person a name, or calling out to them in the street. That is, ideologies “address” people and offer them a particular identity which they are encouraged to accept. However, one is not forced to accept that role through violence. Because those roles are offered to us everywhere we look, or even assigned to us by culture, they are presented in such a way that we are encouraged to accept them. This works best when it is an invisible, but consensual process. It works best when we believe these values are our own, and reflect the most obvious, logical way to live.
Stuart Hall – Reception theory encoding/decoding – see Representation
What was your target audience? What audience response did you want? How did you research your target audience? How do you think you media product would be used? If the hypodermic needle model was realistic would it have influence what you had included in your product?
What audience responses did you get – feedback, youtube comments/views?
Do you believe what Buckingham says about modern consumption as being fleeting and meaningless?
Further reading: