Media audience

Question 1

Bandura media effects (passive theory):

Answer 1

Bandura argues that audiences are passive and the media is very
powerful in influencing audiences. Representations of negative
behaviour can lead to copycat behaviour as the media can directly influence an audience’s’ values and attitudes.

Question 2

Gerbner Cultivation theory (passive theory):

Answer 2

Gerbner argues that long-term exposure to media representations
can lead to audiences becoming desensitised to those representations. He also argues that due to the inherent negativity
in the media as well as its profitability, the media can influences audiences values and attitudes leading to the mean-world syndrome.

Question 3

Hall reception theory (active theory):

Answer 3

Hall argues that producers encode the ‘preferred meaning’ into media products. Often, this is a biased perspective relative to the
organisations ideological positioning. Audiences will then
decode the meaning differently, and will either take an oppositional’, ‘negotiated’ or the ‘preferred meaning’.

Question 4

Jenkins Participatory Culture (active theory):

Answer 4

Jenkins argues that fan who enjoy media texts will construct online
communities around them, which has been enabled by the internet and digital convergence. Fans can act as ‘textual poachers’, taking
elements from real media texts to create their own. Engaging in
participatory culture means engaging in the production and distribution of media products, thus making them more ‘spreadable’ or viral and popular.

Question 5

Shirky end of audience theory (active theory):

Answer 5

Shirky argues that audience behaviour has changed due to the
internet and digital convergence. He argues that the new audience
are ‘prosumers’ - creating and consuming content. He also adds
that user-generated content creates an emotional connection
(as audience favour audience-to-audience interaction) which can lead to cognitive surplus.