Audience Theory Essay

Audience Theory Essay

The Effects Theory shows how media can affect society and how society can affect the media.The Effects model is not a grounded theory. 

The Effects theory suggests that the audience is passive and that being exposed to media will influence the behavior of the audience. This theory suggests that the audience exposed to certain forms of media are a very passive audience who are vulnerable and will end up copying behavior which they have seen.

One problem with the effects theory is the drawback of 'copycat' effect.
For example  in 2004 a teenage boy committed murder in the style of a killing in a video game as a result , the game ManHunt was banned in the UK. Due to the media labeling its audience as passive and therefore weak/vulnerable (an audience who will copy media) then that means that for people who would have enjoyed the game they cannot play due to the media viewing every user as passive. 

The theory also links with moral panic. Moral panic is where there is a threat represented to moral order in a situation that is out of control in some way. And with this theory suggesting that the audience is passive it means that nobody will question the situation which is out of control and it will be easier for moral panic to begin. This is another problem with the effects theory model. 

The studies in which the theory is based on are artificial:

• The Bobo doll experiment with kids, watching them assaulting a doll reenacting what they had just seen adults do on a TV.The criticism is that the children are young and vulnerable.Children are easily manipulated however not all of the audience are (like the theory suggests).

• ThePavlov's Dog was widely criticized as they gathered evidence from a science lab in which animals were tested. However animals are not comparable with Human actions.

The effects theory is also known as the Hypodermic Needle Theory. The reason for the name, being, that the theory suggests that media injects content into its audience' mind without them questioning anything that they are being told. Therefore labeling the audience as passive. Another reason is that the theory suggests that media is like a drug which addicts its audience. 

Suggesting the power lies with the consumer , the uses and grats theory puts more focus on the audience instead of the message itself. The theory does this by asking "what people do with media" rather than "what media does to people". This theory is the opposite of the effects theory suggesting that the audience are not passive but instead take an active role when interpreting forms of media. 
These are examples of the Uses and Gratifications theory in which the theory looks into what the audience do with media rather than what effect media has on its audience.

The problems with the Uses & Gratifications theory are that many people believe that the public have no control over the media and what it produces. The theory is also too kind the the media letting them not take responsibility for what they produce. The model assumes that the media identify individuals needs and provide material to gratify them. But we are more likely to want to feel categorized in the active reader sector rather than passive readers who are being 'duped' by the media. 

The Uses & Grats Theory suggests that the audience rely on media and that it meets audience needs. 
For example watching soap operas:

• Part of regular routine 
• People use as a reward after work
• Escapism
• Preventing loneliness

The reasons are down to the individual member of the audience. And not just for soap operas but with day to day media. There are many examples pf media with multiple reasons for example , watching Quiz Programs for the audience to compare intelligence with player on the TV.Television can also be topic for social interaction. Watching the same program as a friend would begin a conversation. 

I would like to see myself as part of the active audience however I must admit that occasionally the media manages to 'dupe' me along with passive audiences. I may not question what I am being told and believe what I am being told. However I feel I am also part of the active audience. This is because , also , at times I question what I am reading in the newspaper or do not fully agree with what I am being told or think it is being exaggerated by the media. I feel aware and able to question what is being told to me by the media.

When I read a newspaper stating 'Burgers contain horsemeat' I had a passive response and believed the articles without questioning. I was powerless to resist. Another example is that I bought an IPhone after seeing all the advertisements claiming it was the must have phone , I was passive and ended up purchasing the product.
When I read an article stating 'no one should consume more than one rasher of bacon a day or it will send them to an early grave' I questioned this response and didn't believe the article fully and knew there would be exaggeration. 

Perhaps advertising companies rely on a passive audience in order to sell their products. Much like me, many people buy the newest apple product due to the brand and the label of Iphone etc. Many advertising companies aim to young kids to sell products as they are a very passive audience as they are young and vulnerable. For example, many children have the newest craze e.g trading cards and collectable items and they regularly buy the newest item for example new stickers for a sticker book. Marketing and advertising rely on a passive audience (gullible) in order to sell products. 
On the other hand, other media formats rely on an active audience to question things. Radio stations love to get a response from the audience giving their views , opinions and votes etc. 
They rely on an active audience in order to communicate with the audience and cause debates and voting polls online.  

The theory in which I find most convincing would be the Uses & Gratifications theory. This is because the theory is much nicer , suggesting that the media cater to the audience and the theory itself focuses more on the audience than the actual theory. Rather than thinking about medias effects on people it looks at what people do with media. Where as on the other hand the effects model groups together a whole audience and labels them as passive and suggest they do not challenge what they are being told by the media. 
The effects model is , however , interesting as it touches upon key points but groups a whole audience into one categorized audience of passive. I find both theories interesting but in my opinion the uses and gratifications theory is the better of the two theories.


There is an argument that these vulnerable individuals who are part of the passive audience should be protected from violent and explicit material in the media. Especially children. I think vulnerable audiences should be protected from explicit material in which the media produces. However, I feel most of the time the media is blamed for the content produced rather than the child or individual reenacting it. For example the video game Man Hunt being banned. I feel that instead of banning and blaming the media content , there should be stricter age restrictions and parents should take responsibility when purchasing their child, for example , a DVD or Game featuring content which is violent and will most likely influence them. The age restrictions on products are sensible and I feel that sensoring products is a better way to deal with the situation rather than banning it. 

Advertising is a very powerful media tool that aims to persuade us to buy certain products by claiming that we 'need' these items to make our lives better. I consider myself as passive when it comes to advertising. However, it does depend on the type of product being advertised. I do not receive any influence to buy a product when the advert is targeted to an audience that I do not fall into : Car owner (insurance deals, new cars) Home owner (insurance, loans , paying bills etc). Although I am not interested in these products, I still understand the message put forward by the advertising companies. 
Some adverts create an emotional response for me. For example the 3 mobile advert of the dancing horse is a feel good advert which makes me laugh.
Adverts for RSPCA and other fundraising ads also create an emotional response as they make me feel sad and make me feel like I should donate money. The techniques in these adverts are clever as they create emotional responses in order to receive donations.
TV adverts which promote new TV shows pull me in to want to watch them. 





Referring to Maslows Hierarchy of needs I made my own hierarchy of needs using Microsoft word.