audience theories (B) Flashcards
Reception Theory - Stuart Hall
Preferred Reading – The audience fully agrees with the intended meaning.
Negotiated Reading – The audience partly agrees but adjusts the meaning based on personal experiences.
Oppositional Reading– The audience understands the message but rejects or opposes it.
Cultivation Theory - George Gerbner
the idea that exposure to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of time can shape and influence the way in which people perceive the world around them
the idea that cultivation reinforces mainstream values (dominant ideologies).
Uses and Gratification Theory - Blumler and Katz
we are a highly active audience making use of the media for a range of purposes designed to satisfy our needs:
Education and Surveillance: about our geographical and social world
Personal identity: by using characters and personalities who we can identify with to define our sense of self and social behaviour.
Social interaction: experiencing the interaction of others (watercooler moment) discussing the media with others.
Diversion and Relaxation: by using the media for purposes of relaxation, escapism and entertainment.
Media Effects - Albert Bandura
The media can implant ideas in the mind of the audience directly
Media representations of negative behaviour, such as violence or physical aggression, can lead audience members to copy those forms of behaviour
Fandom - Henry Jenkins
fans play a big role in the media
fans actively contribute to the way texts are understood and take ownership of texts and read them in ways that the producers don’t expect, this is known as ‘textual poaching’ . For example fan created videos or fan fiction
Fans use their idols to construct their identities and this participation has vital social dimension – fan forums, fan clubs, teams etc.
‘End of Audience’ theory - Clay Shirky
The Internet and digital technology have changed how people interact with media.
Instead of just passively consuming content, audiences can now create, share, and respond to media. This makes them active participants rather than just viewers.
Producers used to be in control but now audiences have more power in the creation of media.
