Active Audiences Flashcards
active audiences - what influences the way people interpret media?
social characteristics
active audiences - opinion leaders
respected members of social group
they form views from the media & lead discussion
active audiences - the two-step flow model
- opinion leaders filter media texts, form interpretations/opinion
- selectively passed on to others in social groups, receive altered messages, then pass their opinions to others in a chain reaction
audiences not isolated individuals, social groups influence their opinions
active audiences - two-step flow model limitations
- more than 2 steps as content interpreted by many individuals
- assumes media audiences victims & that it flows from media to audience
- people have views/opinions of their own, not vulnerable to influence of opinion leaders
- doesn’t explain how audiences divided into active (OL) and passive viewers
- rise of new media means open leaders less influential, people receive diverse messages by range of OL
active audiences - drip drip effect (cultural effects model)
majority of audiences agree, other may reject media messages
media gradually influences audiences as a subtle, brainwashing process that slowly shapes people and their view of the world
forms stereotypes of particular social group
active audiences - drip drip effect perspective
neo-marxist
media is owned by dominant groups in society
their interests influence media content
we accept the dominant ideology as common sense
establish cultural hegemony
active audiences - drip drip effect; why do some people accept the media content?
they don’t have experience of a social group so they have nothing to judge them other than the media
active audiences - reception analysis (culture effects model)
effects media texts have on audiences and how they interpret them
active audiences - encoding/decoding (cultural effects model)
hall
producers encode dominant hegemonic viewpoint into media texts which audiences then decode differently
active audiences - encoding/decoding; preferred reading
decode texts the same way they were encoded
take the dominant viewpoint
active audiences - encoding/decoding; negotiated reading
accept the dominant texts but adjust it to fit their own beliefs
active audiences - encoding/decoding; oppositional reading
reject the dominant texts due to their social situation
active audiences - selective filtering (cultural effects model)
klapper
people apply filters based on their experiences when interpreting media texts
active audiences - selective filtering perspective
interpretivist
active audiences - selective filtering; selective exposure
media texts that fit their existing views/interests are chosen
active audiences - selective filtering; selective perception
accepting/rejecting the same message depending on whether it fits their views/interests
active audiences - selective filtering; selective retention
forgetting texts that isn’t consistent with their views but remember texts that they agree with
active audiences - evidence for selective filtering
daily mail supported the iraq war (2003) but 1/4 of its readers opposed it
active audiences - glasgow media group (cultural effects model)
people accept media’’s accounts unless they have an alternative form of information
over time people accept the preferred reading as the reasonable one
active audiences - GMG evidence
miners strike (1984)
repeat images on minors in violent clashes with police
people thus blamed the miners
those part of the strike rejected this account
active audiences - why is difficult to criticise the dominant reading (GMG)
theres little access to alternative sources of information
active audiences - limitations of cultural effects model
- reception analysis & selective filtering exaggerate active role of audiences
GMG provides evidence of influence of media - underestimate serious extent of the medias ability to mould public understanding of social issues
- journalists have some independence and can be critical of the dominant ideology
- long-term socialisation by the media limit ability of audiences to filter messages or filter them within the framework of the media (illusion)
active audiences - uses and gratifications model
- diversion
- personal relationships
- personal identity
- surveillance
- background wallpaper
active audiences - uses and gratifications model evidence
web survey on members of Facebook group
online groups used for:
entertainment (diversion)
talking to achieve sense of community (personal relationships)
maintain personal status (personal identity)
receive information about the group (surveillance)
active audiences - uses and gratifications model; effect of media
people make conscious choices on how they interpret media
media effects different for each case
difficult to generalise media effects as people selective in their exposure to media content
active audiences - uses and gratifications model; why do media companies have to satisfy audiences?
no viewers = no advertisers
company can go out of business
active audiences - limitations of uses and gratifications model
- overestimates audiences power in influencing media content, underestimates media companies power in influencing choices people; media set choices which peoples pleasure derives from
- doesn’t recognise people create to media in social groups that influences their uses and gratification
- ignores wider social factors that affect how audiences respond; common experiences/values people reposed in similar ways
