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Audience Theory Pros and Cons

The document discusses three media theories - the hypodermic needle model, uses and gratifications theory, and encoding-decoding theory. The hypodermic needle model views audiences as passive and suggests media can easily influence them. Uses and gratifications sees audiences as active in choosing media to fulfill personal needs. Encoding-decoding also views audiences as active by allowing them to interpret media in different ways. However, the theories note audiences are not entirely active and interpretations may differ within socioeconomic groups.

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2K views

Audience Theory Pros and Cons

The document discusses three media theories - the hypodermic needle model, uses and gratifications theory, and encoding-decoding theory. The hypodermic needle model views audiences as passive and suggests media can easily influence them. Uses and gratifications sees audiences as active in choosing media to fulfill personal needs. Encoding-decoding also views audiences as active by allowing them to interpret media in different ways. However, the theories note audiences are not entirely active and interpretations may differ within socioeconomic groups.

Uploaded by

api-297348994
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PROS

CONS

HYPODERMIC NEEDLE
MODEL Passive
Audience

The positive impact of this theory


is how ideologies can positively
impact a mass passive audience,
such as the BBC program Sports
Relief which encourages a mass
audience to make charity
donations in return for
entertainment, or even health
shows such as BBCs Horizon:
Whats The Right Diet For You.

The main con of this model is that it


makes it easier for the mainstream
media to inject ideologies as the
mass audience is passive. For
example, womens magazines are
more commonly now featuring
Photoshopped models, this creates
an unhealthy perspective on the
world as women will then begin to
think that there is only one look
skinny.

USES AND
GRATIFICATIONS Active Audience

The uses and gratifications model


is a positive theory in terms of the
audience as it allows them to
become active and therefore
enable them to select the media
texts they want to consume and
why e.g. escapism, personal
relationships, personal identity and
surveillance.

Although this theory suggests that


audiences use media texts for their
individual uses and gratifications, it
still means that audiences have an
unconsious decision about the
media texts they are exposed
to/use.

ENCODING-DECODING
Active Audience

This theory allows audiences to


make their own decisions/opinions
on media texts, therefore allowing
them to make their own decisions
to either either accept a text for its
preferred reading, challenge it with
a negotiated reading, or decline it
with an opposed reading.

The cons of this theory are that not


everyone of the same
socioeconomic group will have the
same reading of a text due to
demographics and psychographics.
For example, a 45 year old female
in the social class E will have a
different reading on The
Inbetweeners to an 18 year old in
the same social group.

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