2. Blumler and Katz-gratification
theory
• We are an active audience.
• We control the media- we choose what we want to
watch.
• If we don’t watch it, it will get cancelled.
• If we like something it will get produced.
• Life experiences change how we perceive things.
• Gratified= when you get what you want.
3. The Theory
• Represented in a change of thinking, media injects
messages into your head. It looks at why and what
motivates us to watch/ look at the media.
• Why are we influenced by the media? Identity is from
what we see, we make our choice. We are incontrol- so
showing the media what we like (being an active
audience)
• Consuming dominant ideology.
• Theory argues that audience needs have social and
psychological needs which generate certain
expectations about the mass media+ what they are
exposed to.
4. The four needs:
People are motivated by a desire to fulfil, or gratify certain
needs. The model asks how we use the media.
1. Surveillance- People feel better knowing what is going on
around them/ the news makes us feel secure.
2. Personal identity- Subject of the media allows us to confirm
the identity of ourselves in society. Basing who we are on
media figures e.g. pop stars-role models.
3. Personal relationships-Relationships with the media, TV is a
form of companionship. Making relationships with the
characters. People create false ideas because they get
attached. This is also how we use media to built relationships
in real life, TV programs as stimulus for conversation.
4. Diversion-Watch TV and music videos to forget about our
own lives and think about something else (escapism).
5. Stewart Halls- Reception Theory
• This theory states that media texts are encoded by the
producer meaning that whoever produces the text fills
the product with values+ messages
• The text is decoded by spectators
Producer
encodes
message/
meanings.
Dominant or preferred
(agree with ideology)
Negotiated
(kind of
compromise)
Oppositional
(don’t agree, creates own
reading)
6. Dominant Understanding
Dominant understanding?
• Clear messages.
• Audience is the same age so they relate to this product.
• From the same culture.
• Understand narrative?
• Relevant to society.
• Audience are consuming product so they must have a
reason to watch/buy.
8. Oppositional Understanding
• Oppositional understanding?
• Controversial themes.
• Disagree with the message.
• Dislike the genre.
• Not reflective of society.
• Different cultures, different understanding.
9. Hypodermic Needle Theory
• Injecting information into people, media creates it, audience
consumes.
• Active audience challenge the information and a passive
audience believe what they hear.
• This is one of the very first theories put together therefore it is
outdated and might be unreliable.
• Web 2.0 gives us a voice/ interactive media.
Sender
Receiver
Source
Impact
10. 1920s-1930s
• Information is injected into the brain of a passive
audience
• It had a direct, immediate, powerful effect on an
audience
• Fast rise in population of the radio and TV
• Emerge of propaganda/ advertising
• The mass media influences a large group of people
• Media blows things out of context and we believe it
because of the power they have.
11. Example
1930s ‘War of the Worlds’
This was performed like a real news broadcast to a
heightened effect of the story. People thought that this was
real because they were a passive audience with no other
media to use to become an active audience, they had no
choice but to believe what they heard.
12. Cons of the Theory
• The theory is out of date.
• Not all people consume the media in the same way.
• Audiences are now more active than passive, they don’t
believe everything they hear and try to find out the truth
more themselves.
