Audience theories

Hypodermic syringe theory

• Originated in 1920’s• Explain how audiences passively collect

information through media without realising. Assuming the audience are passive and heterogeneous.

• The audience will then act out

what they see (Crime)• E.g. Propaganda during WWI

Two-step flow

• Suggests that the information does not flow directly from media to the audience, but is filtered through ‘opinion leaders’ so that the audience receive their opinions and thoughts

Uses & Gratification

• Realised that the ‘mass audience’ was made up of individuals rather than a mass.

• Choose to watch/read a text because:– Diversion: escape from everyday problems

and routine.– Personal relationships: use media for

emotional interaction (Soaps)– Surveillance: use media for information

(News, weather, certain adverts)

Reception Theory

• How individual differences affect reading of text

• Based on Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model.

• By using recognized codes and conventions and audiences expectations, producers can position an audience to create some agreement (preferred reading)