Audience Theory 3

Factsheet 30

Activity
1)Sometimes as i watch tv shows and movies that have violent scenes but i dont usually play video games and i am not violent in real life.

2)Occasionally, as it depends what the product is and whether its something i actually like and would use.

3)

Blog questions

1) What are the four categories for different effects theories?

-Direct effect theories
-Diffusion theories
-Indirect effect theories
-The pluralist approach

2)What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

- Child’s Play – The murder of Jamie Bulger
- Marilyn Manson – The Columbine High School shootings
- Natural Born Killers – a number of murders committed by romantically linked couples. In one case, the director was sued for inciting violence although the court case was later dismissed

3)What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.

On April 20, 1999, two teens went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killing 13 people and wounding more than 20 others before turning their guns on themselves and committing suicide. The crime was the worst high school shooting in U.S. history and prompted a national debate on gun control and school safety, as well as a major investigation to determine what motivated the gunmen. Some people realised that the students were fans of Marylin Manson - a rock singer who made references to anti-religious topics and references to sex, violence and drugs - leading some audiences to believe that this was what lead to the students' motive.

4)What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?

-Listening to Marilyn Manson caused teenagers to open fire in a high school killing students and teachers.
-The Columbine High School shootings occurred due to a complex relationship between:
     *The ease of access to firearms and the social acceptance of gun ownership
     *The alienation felt by teenagers who felt as though they did not fit in
     *The hopelessness caused by living in an area where unemployment was high and was                           economically disadvantaged.
     *The general desensitisation caused by access to a range of violent images: film, TV, the news,             the internet.

5)What does Gerbner's Cultivation theory suggest?

Gerbner researched whether watching tv influences the audiences ideas and perception of everyday life. His theory suggests that tv viewing can have a long term, gradual but significant effects on the audiences attitudes and beliefs. 

Cultivation theory states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid.

Heavy viewers are exposed to more violence and therefore are affected by the Mean World Syndrome, the belief that the world is a far worse and dangerous place than it actually is; heavy viewing of tv is creating a homogeneous and fearful populace.

6)How does this front page of the Daily Mail (from this week - Wednesday 16 November) link to Cultivation theory?

This article addresses the fact that children are becoming addicted to digital technology in the article. This idea is also planted in the consumers mind as soon as they see the cover as the heading states 'under 5's glued to screens 4 hours each day'. This links to the cultivation theory as the article also explains that  screen time is substituting for vital developmental necessities like all-round physical motor skills and social and communication skills, supporting the idea that the more time people spend 'living' in the world of technology has an effect on they way they think and perceive things in the real world, as the article also states that it is having a 'negative physiological effect on the brain' and headteachers have also reported that 'children seem less empathetic and have shorter attention spans than before.'

7)What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

The facstsheet suggests that there are two types of violence - good and bad. Good violence would be when violence is used for reasons such as: protecting a family member or stopping a criminal. Bad violence would be when it is used for things such as: financial gain or fun, threatening weaker people and threatening the state/government.

8)What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?

Critics see both these direct theories as having an elitist element suggesting a judgement is being made about the mass audience as they are assumed to be easily led and not perceptive or self-aware. The individual nature of the members of the audience is not taken into account.

9)Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

Love Thy Neighbour appears to many modern viewers, racist and offensive. Times have changed and so have people’s attitudes and values as we are surrounded by different races and religions in society so racism is no longer accepted (by some people). This proves that Stuart Hall's theory that media texts are polysemic is true as the example shows how what used to be seen as comedy (the preferred reading) is now seen a racist and unacceptable (a counter-hegemonic reading).

10) What examples are provided for Hall's theory of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings?

The Sun and The Guardian as they often report the same ‘facts’ very differently.

11)Which audience theory do you think is most convincing? Why? It is important that you develop critical autonomy in judging the arguments for and against different theories and form your own opinion on these issues.

I think that Hall's reception theory and the 'Uses and Gratifications' theory are the most convincing audience theories, as i agree that audiences are free to interpret the media in different ways as there is a lot of evidence that can prove this. It is one of the most logical theories as every ones minds work differently and not everyone will think the same thing or agree with each other, which leads to different audiences perceiving the media in different ways. I also believe that audiences make a conscious decision as to what they view online as people use technology for different things such as personal identity or surveillance.

Audience Theory 2

1) Social learning theory has been criticised for simplifying the causes of violence in society. Do you think the media is responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence?

Social learning theory suggests that people learn from one another via observation, for example through watching movies or playing video games. I think the media is partly responsible for anti social behaviour and violence, particularly in younger children. This is because they arent as mature or experienced and are still learning whats wrong and right, so if they see something they copy it. However i think that other factors have to be taken into consideration such as upbringing and surroundings, as these can also have a major impact on how someone acts.

2) How is social learning theory relevant in the digital age? Are young people now learning behaviour from social media and the internet? Give examples.

Social learning theory is becoming more relevant than it once was due to technology advancing and the increase in the use of social media platforms such as youtube. Young people are learning from social media and the internet as it is something we are surrounded by as it is used for most things, such as information, education and entertainment. The fact that people are now exposed to the media at such a young age means that is one of their primary sources to learn from meaning they follow in the footsteps of what they see other people doing online as young people such as children are still vulnerable.

3) Research five examples of moral panic from the last 50 years. To what extent was the media responsible for these moral panics? Was the concern in society justified? How have things changed as a result of these moral panics?

Mods/Rockers
AIDS
9/11
Ebola
Video nasties

4) Read this introduction to an academic paper on technopanics. What examples are given of technopanics that create fear in society?

Child safety
Cyber security
Digital privacy

5) How does the author suggest that technopanics should be addressed - rather than through government regulation?

Social learning
Coping strategies
Education/empowerment based solutions
Resiliency

6) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?

No, because this would cause people to rebel and find alternative ways to access what has been restricted and feel like they have lost their freedom, also what may be considered as harmful to some may not be perceived the same way to others. People should have the choice to access what they want and make decisions for themselves.

7) Apply Gerbner's cultivation theory to new and digital media. Is the internet creating a fearful population? Are we becoming desensitised to online threats, trolling and abuse?

To a certain extent we are becoming desensitised to these things as they are something we see so often now compared to what we used to, that we become accustomed to it. For example we hear about shootings so much in the news now that we are used to it and audience reactions are lower as we're not as shocked by it anymore. On the other hand i dont believe that we are becoming desensitised to it as in response to what we hear through the media we as an audience are more cautious and on edge. For example, when the news was reporting events such as the increase in motorbike muggings, some people become more paranoid when they are out as the media has created a sense of fear.

8) Is heavy internet use something we should be worried about in society? How would you define 'heavy internet use'?

Heavy internet use would be when somebody cant physically go a period of time without using it and might have withdrawal symptoms. If somebody used the media everyday as a their only source of happiness or a way to passively live through other peoples lives then this would be an example of heavy internet usage. It is something to be worried about in society as studies have proved that it could lead to depression.

Audience Theory

Hypodermic needle model

1) The article suggests that playing video games - even for a short amount of time everyday - your more likely to show aggressive behaviour. This links to the hypodermic needle model as it shows how what you see in the media can influence the decisions you make in real life. In this particular study it shows how seeing violence in video games can result in people having a more hostile, negative outlook on the real world.

2) The cover describes how a 15 year old is a 'video game addict who rarely leaves his bedroom' and how this relates to his hacking skills. Describing the boy in this way makes the audience believe that if you let your child play violent video games, their behaviour will be influenced and they will become more unsociable.

Some people may criticise this cover as it assumes that media is the only factor is the only cause for his behaviour when other factors could have also contributed to this outcome.

Two-step flow model

1) The two-step flow model was developed in the 1940s because the hypodermic needle theory was considered too simplistic, assuming the audience consumed media without thinking.The two-step flow model instead suggests the audience are influenced by ‘opinion leaders’ in the media who mediate how the audience react to media texts. The theory suggests the media is not all-powerful and that social factors are important.

I think that the two-step flow model is still relevant today as there is an increasing use of social media platforms such as instagram and youtube, where there are many popular figures who are looked up to and considered as 'role models' or inspirational to some audiences. This makes the views and opinions that they share more likely to be believed by the people watching their videos, or seeing their instagram posts, influencing the way we see things.

2) This youtube blogger fits into the two-step flow model as an opinion leader. This is due to the fact that he has a lot of followers as he has more than 2 million subscribers. Having a large following makes it easier to spread his views to other people, and influence or change some audiences mindsets on topics he explores on his channel.

3) It fits into the two-step flow model as it presents the idea that there are many opinion leaders from different social media platforms. The fact that these popular icons have such a large fan base and following means that what they share is seem by an extremely large audience. It is because of this that i believe they genuinely do have an influence on people, however only to an extent. This is because people tend to follow trends and look up to people who show them or may have similar interests to themselves and try and copy certain things they do, for example if somebody looked up to a particular celebrity they might try and dress or act similarly. However on the other hand i think that audiences can also reject what they are being shown as people in todays society have become more aware of the ways the media tries to persuade us and change peoples opinions.

4) Jamal Edwards links to the two-step flow model as he is an opinion leader. This is because he has millions of followers. This suggests that many people share similar views as him, and will be encouraged to maintain these views as he shares his own opinions. It also allows him to manipulate the way others who might not share the same view think as they may change their views due to the fact that he is a very popular figure.

Dependency Theory

I agree that audiences have become dependent on the media as it is increasingly becoming more popular and is used for almost everything, such as information, entertainment and diversion. The fact that the media has something to cater for different needs, wants and desires and is so easily accessible makes us more heavily reliant on it, even for minor things in our everyday life such as checking the weather to determine what we wear.

Uses and Gratifications

Diversion

TV: Love Island as the focus is on other peoples lives and involves drama which provides entertainment for the audience and distracts them from events in their own personal lives.

Cinema: The Impossible as it is full of action and drama and allows the audience to empathise with the characters and imagine what they would do if they was in the same position

Print: Magazines (such as 'Closer') as they focus on other peoples lives such as celebrities, allowing the audience to passively indulge in certain aspects that they may aspire to have themselves.

E-media: Snapchat as it allows us to see what other people are doing and  stories by other companies such as Buzzfeed and Cosmopolitan which provide articles on a number of different topics and sometimes include small activities.


Personal Relationships

TV: Eastenders as it focuses on different people and their lives and how they deal with certain situations and allows us to see what their relationships to different people are like.

Cinema: Me Before You as it forces the audience to empathise with the characters as they watch what they go through. The emotive features help grab the audiences attention and places their focus on the characters and events.

Print: Look Magazine as it focuses on celebrities and some events in their personal lives such as their romantic relationships.

E-media: Youtube Vloggers (such as 'Zoella' and 'Velvetgh0st') as they film parts of their everyday lives which allows us to get to know them as people and create a sense of attachment.


Personal Identity

TV: 2 Broke Girls as there are a number of main characters and each have very different personalities which makes it easier for a number of audiences to relate to them.

Cinema: The Theory of Everything as if focuses on the main character and the development of his condition and how it affects his life.

Print: Glamour Magazine as some articles are about general topics that are relatable to a number of audiences.

E-media: Instagram as you get to decide who you follow and can view profiles of celebrities or any other people / profiles that you feel you might relate to or identify with.


Surveillance

TV: BBC News as it informs its audience about world matters and events that are occurring.

Cinema:

Print: 1984 as it is a similar concept to Big Brother where the idea that we are always being watched is portrayed.

E-media: Twitter as it can be used for people to find out information about current affairs and world events, allowing us to stay up to date.

October assessment - Learner Response

Feedback

WWW: Some effective use of media terminology

EBI: More detailed comprehensive answer needed. Question 4 is too short and needs more development.


Individual

1) Include other narrative theory's such as Propp's character types theory or Barthes' enigma and action codes.

2) State similarities not just differences and link to cultural contexts of the media products.

3) Use more subject terminology to show a better understanding of the influences.

4) Include other theories and explain in detail to develop my answer

Exemplar comparison

1) Explain points in more detail.

2) Develop points more and look further into denotations and connotations of each advert.

3) Quote / name genre theorists and apply what they believed to explain the importance of genre in more detail

4) Develop my answer by including more theories

Strongest and weakest questions

Strongest: Question 1 - I explained Todorov's theory in detail and used a lot of subject terminology

Weakest: Question 4 - I needed to give myself more time so that i could write in more detail by developing my points about Halls Reception theory.


Re-write of weakest answer

4) Figure 3 allows audiences to make a number of different interpretations of the magazine and a variety of readings are portrayed in this media text.

Stuart Hall introduced the idea of three different readings -  hegemonic, negotiated and oppositional. A hegemonic reading (also known as the 'dominant' or 'preferred' reading) is what the creator intends for the audience to perceive. The negotiated reading is a middle ground between the producers intentions and the audiences personal view. Lastly, the oppositional reading (also referred to as the 'counter-hegemonic reading') is an alternative reading that is actively against the producers intentions. This means the audience infers the complete opposite of what the producer originally intended to represent.

The magazine cover shows a popular R&B artist, Miguel, wearing stylish clothing and accessories, which could mean that the hegemonic reading for this particular media text is for the audience to recognise how he has changed from a person who was involved with 'sex and drugs' to somebody who is well presented, and is now very well-known and successful.Using a famous celebrity icon for the main subject also suggests that the producer is trying to communicate that they are modern and keep up with popular culture and write about topics that younger audiences want to read about, such as 'movies...tv shows and fashion'. The use of subheadings, such as the one about Kendrick Lamar, further reinforces this idea as he is another popular icon who is an influential figure to many young people. This also helps the producers attract their target audience to read the magazine and encourage them to have a hegemonic reading.

A negotiated reading for Vibe magazine might be that some audiences understand and recognise the producers intentions but believe that topics such as drugs and aren't appropriate due to its younger audience. Hall's reception theory states that audiences are free to 'completely reject' producers intentions. The type of reading an audience would have if they did this would be a counter-hegemonic reading. In this case the counter-hegemonic reading for the magazine might be that they believe the topics explored, such as sex and drugs, are an exploitation of celebrities pasts. An oppositional reading may also be that some audiences believe that the use of costume (stylish clothing and expensive jewellry) glamorises deep topics like sex and drugs, which sets a bad example to young consumers. Audiences who have an oppositional reading may argue that more important and informative topics should be explored such as world events and current news rather than 'iconic cars' and 'tv shows'. Consumers may believe that Vibe portrays a counter hegemonic reading as although the main topic being explored is music, something that large audiences can relate to or find interesting, only popular male icons are being shown, which creates the impression that the producers might be sexist, as their magazine represents the idea of male dominance.

Psychographics

Psychographic Group: 

Succeeders

Names: 
Brian And Isabella 

Occupation:
Brian - Owner/CEO of a Stock Exchange Business 
Isabella - Owner of a Law Firm

Brian and Isabella are likely to be working in these scenarios due to the fact that they have high aspirations that they have succeeded due to how high their business ethics is, therefore, will likely be at the highest position possible in their career, therefore, having a large amount of income meaning high and expensive lifestyle.

Spare Time:
They will tend to live a very expensive lifestyle, therefore, will likely tend to do quite expensive activities such as playing golf or watching a movie at an art house cinema due to these being highly connected to having an expensive lifestyle. This will not be frequent due to how demanding their work schedule will be meaning whenever possible they will be going to these activities for them to do however will always be on their phones or some form of way to be updated to their respected careers.

Print - What newspapers/magazines does your group read (if any)? Is this on paper or tablet?

The Daily Telegraph on tablet(or any other broadsheet newspaper) as it focuses on stories that come under business and money which they might choose to read as they have a strong work ethic strive to be the very best. It also looks at stories about education and the royal family, linking to their work ethic and the fact that their brand choice is based on prestige.

Broadcast - What TV programmes/channels do your group watch? Radio stations? TV package – Freeview or Sky? Films?​

-The Apprentice as it is about work ethic and organisation and links to being goal orientated. They might also watch 'regular' shows such as reality tv or a series, as it is something for them to watch in their free time and can provide stress relief , which is something succeeders are attracted to.
-They are more likely to have a tv package such as sky rather than freeview as it shows more channels. They are also likely to be able to afford it and would appear more prestige than if they was to have freeview. By having more choice of channels to watch, it also means that Sky has programmes that cater to all of their needs and desires.


E-Media: What technology do they own? What websites do they visit (if any)?

-smartphone, laptop or computer, tablets (etc)
-access social media - see what other people are doing / comparing themselves, trying to be the best.
-online news
-online shopping - buying from brands with good ethics as succeeders are attracted to brands that are 'caring' and 'protective'.

Which psychographic group do you feel you best fits your lifestyle and personality? Explain how and why you made your decision and provide evidence justifying this.

I think i fit best into the explorer group as i often try to challenge myself. I like to experience things and feel the effects of them and would like to go and adventure more, such as going travelling when i am older. i try to go to new places and try new things as much as i can.