Scribd
Upload
197 views

Audience Theory Handout

The first article describes how the parents of a boy who was murdered blamed the killer's obsession with the violent video game Manhunt. They said the killer mimicked the game's violent killings in bludgeoning and stabbing the victim to death. However, the second article reports that police rejected any link between the murder and the video game, saying their investigation found the motive was simply robbery. While the victim's mother maintained the killer was influenced by the game, police confirmed the game was found in the victim's room, not the killer's, and that the individual was responsible for their actions.

Uploaded by

api-270166735
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
197 views

Audience Theory Handout

The first article describes how the parents of a boy who was murdered blamed the killer's obsession with the violent video game Manhunt. They said the killer mimicked the game's violent killings in bludgeoning and stabbing the victim to death. However, the second article reports that police rejected any link between the murder and the video game, saying their investigation found the motive was simply robbery. While the victim's mother maintained the killer was influenced by the game, police confirmed the game was found in the victim's room, not the killer's, and that the individual was responsible for their actions.

Uploaded by

api-270166735
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Audience Theory

What do you think the following terms mean in relation to audiences...?


Passive
Audiences who may absorb a
message and either agree or
disagree with it. If they agree
though, they will not feel strongly
influenced by it.
For example seeing a documentary
about a person living a money free
lifestyle in the woods. Audiences
would agree it to be a less costly
lifestyle, but may not feel as
influenced to suddenly want to go
living in the woods themselves.
Tutor Definition

Active
Audiences absorbing a message
and feeling positively influenced by
it.
For example, after seeing a
documentary about someone living
a money free lifestyle in the
woodlands, some audiences may
feel more positively influenced to
want to learn bush craft or even
have a go at living in the
woodlands themselves.

Passive
Audiences receive information
from a text, which they accept
without questioning.

Active
Audiences will think and question
messages and ideologies from a
media text.

What are the flaws with the hypodermic needle theory?


It does not allow for audiences to differentiate in opinions and debate their views,
as the theory implies the text to be one sided in exerting a message.
Therefore audiences are not able to be given an open minded view point.
The theory suggests people dont question ideas.
Simplistic.

We all like to think that were independent and make our own decisions
about things. However most of us listen to opinion leaders concerning our
thoughts about media products.
Make a list of people whose opinion you trust to inform you of how you
should respond to or think of a text.

Celebrities: David Attenborough, David Walliams, Eddie Izzard


Family: Mother, grandmother.

Read the articles on the following pages and consider how the hypodermic
needle, opinion leader and two step flow theory have affected events.
Once youve read through the article write up your thoughts in the
provided box.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3934277.stm
29/06/04

Game blamed for hammer murder


The parents of a boy who was murdered with a claw
hammer by a friend have blamed a violent video
game which the teenage killer was "obsessed"
with.
Warren Leblanc, 17, repeatedly stabbed 14-year-old
Stefan Pakeerah after luring him to a Leicester park to
steal from him on 27 February.

Stefan was repeatedly battered and stabbed by his


older friend

He pleaded guilty to murder at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday.


Stefan's mother described Leblanc, who confessed to police moments after the assault,
as "inherently evil".
Video game 'obsession'
Stefan's mother, Giselle, a research nurse, had to leave
court when the evidence in the case became too
harrowing.
Following the hearing she said her son's killer had
mimicked a game called Manhunt, developed by
Edinburgh-based Rockstar North, in which the players
score points for violent killings.
Manhunt was banned six months ago in New Zealand by
censorship officials.
Mrs Pakeerah said: "I heard some of Warren's friends say
that he was obsessed by this game.

Leblanc armed himself with a claw hammer and a


knife

"To quote from the website that promotes it, it calls it a psychological experience, not a
game, and it encourages brutal killing.
"If he was obsessed by it, it could well be that the boundaries for him became quite
hazy."
Mrs Pakeerah, 36, called for violent video games to be banned.
Covered in blood
She said: "I can't believe that this sort of material is
allowed in a society where anarchy is not that far
removed.
"It should not be available and it should not be available
to young people."
Leblanc, of Braunstone Frith, Leicester, persuaded his
victim to go to nearby Stoke Woods Park, known locally
as The Dumps - to meet two girls.
The court heard how he armed himself with a knife and
claw hammer to carry out the attack.

I don't play these games but if they


are influencing kids to go out and kill
people then you don't want them on the
shelves
Patrick Pakeerah, victim's father

He confessed to the killing moments later when he was found covered in blood by two
police officers.
Outside court Stefan's father, Patrick, said: "They were playing a game called Manhunt.
"The way Warren committed the murder is how the game is set out - killing people using
weapons like hammers and knives.
"There is some connection between the game and what he has done."
Game ban
Echoing his former partner, the civil servant said: "I don't
play these games but if they are influencing kids to go out
and kill people then you don't want them on the shelves."
When police discovered Stefan, they found he had
sustained horrific and fatal injuries.
The boy had been hit so hard with the hammer he had
suffered deep cuts to his head and neck. His head had
been fractured in several places.
Giselle Pakeerah has called for a ban on violent
video games

He had multiple stab wounds, with the knife being


plunged so deep that it had caused serious injuries to his kidney and liver.

A spokesman for the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers' Association said:
"We sympathise enormously with the family and parents of Stefan Pakeerah.

"However, we reject any suggestion or association between the tragic events and the
sale of the video game Manhunt.
"The game in question is classified 18 by the British Board of Film Classification and
therefore should not be in the possession of a juvenile.
"Simply being in someone's possession does not and should not lead to the conclusion
that a game is responsible for these tragic events."
Judge Michael Stokes QC said Leblanc had carried out "a brutal, cold-blooded murder"
and could expect a life sentence.
Sentencing was adjourned for reports.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3538066.stm
05/08/2004

Police reject game link to murder

Detectives investigating the murder of a 14-year-old boy in a


Leicester park have rejected any link with a violent computer
game.
Stefan Pakeerah was beaten and stabbed to death by Warren Leblanc, 17,
but the motive, say police, was robbery.
Leicestershire police have confirmed a copy of the game was found, but in
Stefan's' bedroom and not with Leblanc.
Stefan's parents blamed the game, which was
withdrawn by some high street retailers,
following the court case.
A Leicestershire constabulary spokesperson
said: "Police investigations did not uncover any
connections to the computer game.
"The motive for the incident was robbery."

Leblanc is
responsible for
what Leblanc
did and what
he did was
horrible
Giselle
Pakeerah

They added: "We can confirm the game was not found in Warren
Leblanc's room, it was found in Stefan Pakeerah's room."
In the wake of Leblanc's guilty plea, several stores withdrew Manhunt
from sale.
But sales at HMV, which has continued to sell the game, have reportedly
risen.
Violent films
Stefan's mother, Giselle, who called for violent computer games to be
banned, claimed her son only had the game because it had been lent to
him by Leblanc.
"Warren Leblanc gave Stefan the game just two days before he killed
him," she said.
"Leblanc is responsible for what Leblanc did and what he did was
horrible."
Mrs Pakeerah added: "He liked violent films and games and particularly
liked Manhunt.
"There are obvious similarities between the game and how Stefan died."
'Misleading reporting'

For its part, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers'


Association (Elspa), the industry body for the video game industry, has
written to Home Secretary David Blunkett about the media coverage of
the case.
"We have been very concerned recently about the misleading and
disingenuous reporting about the effects of playing interactive games
software," said Elspa.
"As you will know, despite many research projects into the effects of
screen violence, some of which have been undertaken by eminent
academics in their field, no link with violent behaviour has been found."
Elspa said its members took their responsibilities extremely seriously and
that they conformed with both the letter and spirit of the law and the
The first article immediately encodes how negative violent video games are,
by incorporating a sad anecdote and rather logically connecting the persons
death to the game.
Therefore audiences are more likely to passively read the text, rather than
question it, due to the article favouring the game more for the cause of the
murder.
Therefore audiences are more likely to passively agree that violent video
games should be banned, due to detail of the murder being signified,
influencing audiences to feel negatively inflicted by the effect video games
have upon some people.
The second article meanwhile places that video games should not be held
responsible for violent action and that instead the individual person should be

strict Codes of Practice

What are the four divisions of the Uses and Gratification Theory?

1. Entertainment Audiences consume some texts to escape from the


mundanity and pressures of everyday life.
2. Information and education Audiences consume texts, because they
want to be informed of what is occurring in the world. For example
informing audiences being informed by news and magazines
programs. This is useful for niche audiences where information is
less prevalent.
3. Social interaction texts, being of the moment and are discussed
by the audiences as it happens. They may use the text so they can
use the experience of the text to talk to others.
4. Personal identity the idea that audiences gain pleasures from media
texts, due to them being able to compare their lives and
experiences with those featured in texts.
Make a list of different video products you consume that you can apply
Uses and Gratification divisions to. You may find you can apply more than
one.
Social interaction: Goggle Box watch it with my mother. We both often laugh or make
humorous remarks about some of the characters. The context of the program is one relatable
to my mother and I (I.e. watching films/T.V programs). We can connect with some of the
characters and also look forward to seeing their reactions of particular shows. I often ask my
mother if she has watched a particular program which may be shown on Goggle Box.
Information and education: BBC Earth documentaries (particularly those narrated by David
Attenborough, as I like to learn about the different animal species. Something me and my
mother can connect with, due to loving animals.

What factors of a viewers identity may influence how they respond to a


text in regards to reception theory?
Morals and beliefs inflicted towards them by family and friends as well as experiences they may
have had.
These factors are likely to enforce audiences to have their own ideology.
Education.
Ethnicity and religion.
Gender, age and nationality.

Considering the factors you have written above, think what type of
response different groups would have to the films weve studied so far this
year
Film
Alien

Preferred
Audiences could
agree that
females are
more capable of
different job
roles.
Could be open
minded to the
concept o

Oppositional

Negotiated

The Theory of
Ever

May feel more


influenced of
England being a
sophisticated
society and
intrigued into
wanting to tour
England or even
go to one of
their
universities.

May neglect the


ideology of
Englands
sophistication
and based upon
where they live,
may believe the
film to misguide
audiences from
what England is
all around like.

Dead Mans
Shoes

Audiences may
feel positively
influenced into
believing
revenge is good
justice, as well
as believing
England to not
be as
sophisticated.

Evil Dead 2

Audiences will
find the film
very humorous.

May agree with


England being
sophisticated,
but not
suddenly feel
influenced to
suddenly wear
bow ties and go
to a university
such as
Cambridge or
tour England.
Audiences may
agree with the
characters
motivation for
revenge but not
suddenly feel
influenced to
want to take
revenge on
people or
believe it is
right.
Audiences may

Audiences will
believe revenge
to be ethically
wrong and feel
the characters
and location are
misleading
England into a
negative
representation.

Audiences may
find some of the
material rather

Singing in the
Rain

Audiences may
feel influenced
into the idea of
America being a
positive,
energetic and
happy country.
Thus wanting to
tour there.

Audiences may
agree with
Americas
representation,
but feel it may
be slightly
exaggerated
and not feel as
compelled to
want to go
there.

upsetting (E.g.
husbands wife
turning into
zombie and later
being killed).
Audiences may
feel this to be a
complete
misrepresentati
on of America.

You might also like