Audience theories
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The document discusses four theories of how audiences interact with media: 1) The hypodermic needle theory suggests media directly injects messages into audiences' minds. 2) Uses and gratification theory holds that people seek out media to fulfill needs like knowledge or social interaction. 3) Reception theory proposes media producers encode messages that audiences then decode, bringing their own interpretations. 4) Two-step flow theory argues information passes from media to opinion leaders and then to broader audiences.
Audience theories
- 1. Audience Theories By Thomas Hall
- 2. Hypodermic needle/ Magic bullet theory . The hypodermic needle theory is basically the theory that the media “Injects” the information and message directly into the heads of the intended audience, who absorb the message in it’s entirety. The use of the words “hypodermic needle” makes the the person think of a direct injection of the information, which is what the theory is all about.
- 3. Uses and gratifications theory . The uses and gratifications theory is about how people search for certain media types that will appeal to or please the need for more knowledge, social interaction or diversion/ escapism. These are the more common reasons in which people use the media for in this theory.
- 4. Reception theory . The reception theory is basically the idea that the producers/directors/ editors “encode” a film, which includes certain codes and conventions which the audience then “decodes” and dissects this film, however the eventual decoding of the film may end up with a new look/ view on the film which was not intended by the directors etc. The decoding sequence can often be altered dramatically by the age, class, gender and ethnicity.
- 5. Two-step flow theory . The two-step flow theory Is based on the idea that information and messages from the media do not “flow” directly to the audience, the first pass through people called “Opinion leaders” who first the media goes through, which is then “programmed” with messages and opinions which then flows to the target audience.