Audience Effects Theory

 1) Write a definition of a passive audience:

audiences passively take in information from the media and that these messages have the same effect on everyone.

 
2) Write a definition of an active audience:

 audiences interact with and make conscious choices regarding the media they consume.

 

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory: 

This is the suggestion that audiences are always passive and therefore take the intended message from the producer as if it was injected into their minds. This assumes no individual difference in audience members. 

4) Write down a media product (e.g. TV show, newspaper or videogame) for each category of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification. The first one is done for you: 

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: Media text - The Times newspaper
 > Why: It tells audiences important information about politics, the world and more.

PERSONAL IDENTITY: Video games - Minecraft 
 > Why: because the audience can do stuff in that fake reality without it having an effect on them

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: TV show - Marvels
 > Why: It gives the audience entertainment but also escape from reality 

RELATIONSHIPS: Newspaper - The Sun
 > Why: The audience might want to know what is happening in a loved ones country, town, village etc 

5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analysing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above).

One main reason the audience watch the Blue Planet is for information/surveillance this is because it tells the audience important information about the world and the animals. Another reason could just be for entertainment because they find animals interesting. It could also be because they were close to animals when they were younger so to them animals are nostalgic.