Audience Theory

An alternative viewpoint to the audience theory comes from the uses and gratifications theory which primaraly focuses on the idea that media audiences make active use of what the media offer. The audience has a set of needs which the media in one form or another meet. The needs that the media meet fall into 4 seperate categories, Diversion, Personal Relationships, Personal Identity and Surveillance.

Diversion: a form of escaping from the pressures of everyday life

Personal Relationships: where the viewer gains companionship, either with the television characters or through conversations with others about television

Personal Identity: where the viewer is able to comapre their life with the lives of characters and situations on television, to explore , re-affirm or question their personal identity

Surveillance: where the media are looked upon for a suplpy of information about what is happening in the world. An example of this would be the internet but more specifically, Web 2.0

Some theorists also believe that the media has a comparativley weak influence in moulding individual beliefs, opinions and attitudes and that other factors present in society, such as personal contact and religion are more likely to influence people.

Professor Nicholas Abercrombie said in his book "Audiences" "Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are".

Professor Nicholas Abercrombie: