Effects and Audiences

http://www.slideshare.net/hgaldinoshea/effects-and-audiences-lessons-2-and-3
2. The Imagined Reader rea!fast cereal "ar #olida$ destination %ast food %urniture T&
show 'usic (et
3. Audience Research (roducing data from research (ro)iding empirical e)idence of audience
*eha)iour or discursi)e e)idence of audience responses. +one commerciall$ *$ media producers
and distri*utors , ratings- mar!et research +one criticall$ *$ media academics
.. Audience Theories "reating new ideas / new wa$s of thin!ing a*out media audiences.
Audience research used to test out audience theories. Effects. /ses and gratifications. Reception
theor$. Ethnograph$. (ostmodern theor$. 'edia 2.0
1. 2pectrum of *eha)iourism +irect Effects theor$ Theories of Acti)e Audiences 'edia
stimulus is followed *$ straightforward audience response Audiences use media to satisf$
particular needs and to ena*le the flow of communications from person to person 3 Effects
de*ate4 )er$ much ali)e , mass media and social panics 2ee 5asswell and the effecti)eness of
propaganda
6. 'edia Effects 7 8eha)iourism theories9 ene)olent7 8education- (u*licit$-
entertainment:9 'align7 8eg propaganda- hegemon$9 "riticism: no stud$ has conclusi)el$
identified or re;ected the possi*ilit$ of media effects
<.
=. Earl$ 'odels and Research The #$podermic 2$ringe 'odel The Two-step %low
#$pothesis E>periments "laims
?. #$podermic 'odel @ EffectsA theor$ is / was often limited to the idea that the media
@in;ectA messages into audiences who are seen as passi)e. The constant attempt to @pro)eA that
media )iolence creates )iolent citiBens 8eg horror films- )ideo nasties in the C?=0s- )ideogames
now9 is *ased on this false premise. Effects and @moral panicsA.
C0. &iolence and se> in media Ddamaging childrenD http://www.$outu*e.com/watch7
)E1F&aG32HdIIfeatureEf)w D&ideo James (romote Racism- 2e>ism and #atredD - The Alan
Titchmarsh 2how http://www.$outu*e.com/watch7)E1K?n;-Gngpc e$ond Jood I E)il:
"hildren- 'edia I &iolent Times http://www.$outu*e.com/watch7)E"gg;d<o-
('IfeatureErelated
C2. Fuestions #ow far do we agree that the media affect us7 Lhat !ind of forms do these
effects ta!e7 Is it possi*le to measure these effects7 #ow would $ou do it7 Lhat !ind of
)aria*les or approaches need to *e ta!en into consideration to e>plore audience research full$7
C3. %redic LerthamAs 2eduction of the Innocent 8C?119 Two targets of his )itriolic attac!s:
"rime comics Tele)ision 1 ps$chological pro*lems identified: (assi)it$ 'isconception Imitation
Identification +esensitiBation
C.. %redic LerthamAs 2eduction of the Innocent 8C?119 Tests with children *ut unrelia*ilit$
of these artificial tests eg. The +uess Test , encourage research su*;ects to pro)ide responses
that researcher is e>pecting MAlso see the o*o doll e>perimentN These )iews : o)erstate media
effects /nderstate capacit$ of children to distinguish fantas$ from realit$ #a)e captured the
pu*lic mood e)er sinceO #a)e spurned man$ similar studies
C1. LerthamAs spirit li)es on: (opular support and pu*licit$- particularl$ during heightened
incidents of )iolent crime in the real world. Research: E>plore other criticism of LerthamAs
theories- for eg his focus on cases of ;u)enile delinPuenc$ and his lac! of focus on socio-
economic conditions to e>plain these unwanted *eha)iours 'edia as scapegoat for the ills of
societ$7
C6. http:// www.mediawatchu!.org.u! /
C<. Effects research 2tarts from a premise *ased in morals "entral Puestion: 3 how much
harm is done to )ulnera*le )iewers *$ improper media materials7 4 8see JauntlettAs 3C0 things
wrong with the effects model4 for critiPue9
C=. (ro*lems Assumes media affects *eha)iour- *ut this needs to *e argued and e)idenced.
+istincti)e message - can we assume there is @a 8singular9 readingA7 "oncei)es audience as
passi)e (roof of media effects lies in ad)ertising: Lh$ would people pa$ for ad)ertising if it
had no E%%E"T7
C?. Lhat is &iolence7 Lhat is 3media )iolence47 Ran! the following in terms of the most to
the least )iolent: Itch$ and 2cratch$ 2a)ing (ri)ate R$an The 2opranos 2in "it$ Ram*o Qews
8fighting in IraP9 o>ing LLE wrestling 'odern Larfare 2
20. +efine The point is are we e)en tal!ing a*out compara*le features- let alone are the$ the
same7 ecause 3media )iolence4 e>ists onl$ in the conte>t of narrati)e- characters- genres- etc.
It is simpl$ a term that is impossi*le to define.
2C. The common sense argument is *ased on the need to protect children. +ifficult to
Puestion as within our societ$ children are regarded as )ulnera*le- ignorant and irrational /T
uc!ingham 8C??69 o*ser)es that children *ecome e>tremel$ sophisticated in reading media
te>ts from an earl$ age. 'an$ children are frightened *$ horror *ut this is also true of the news.
The a*ilit$ to de)elop coping strategies for fiction *ut not for factual programmes shows the
sophistication of children in reading te>ts. 2ee also #odge and Tripp 8C?=69
22. 'oral (anics and 'edia Effects 3 It is now perhaps more interesting not to as! what the
effects of tele)ision are- *ut rather wh$ there is so much concern a*out the Puestion4 8Jauntlett9
'oral (anic , 3a condition- episode- person or group of persons emerges as a threat to societal
)alues and interests: its nature is presented in a st$lised and stereot$pical fashion *$ the mass
media: the moral *arricades are manned *$ editors- *ishops- politicians and other right thin!ing
peopleR sociall$ accredited e>perts pronounce their diagnoses and solutionsR wa$s of coping are
e)ol)ed or 8more often9 resorted to.4 8"ohen C?<2- p.?9
23. #istorical (erspecti)e 'usic halls in &ictorian ritain , lawlessness and immoralit$
%oot*all- C00 $ears ago , hooliganism ic$cles- C=?0s , cause of chaos and terror Roc! and roll-
C?10s , 3the QegroAs re)enge4 &ideo Qasties- C?=0s , 3*an this sic! filth4 &ideo James- C??0s-
now Internet 8I'- 2Q29- 2000s - now
2.. "ulti)ation theor$ Jeorge Jer*er et al. C?=69 2ee!s to measure the long term effects of
t)As contri*utions to our conceptions of social realit$ T) 8and other media9 is too omnipresent for
)iewers to escape its 3gradual encroachment4 into our e)er$da$ li)es. "ontinued e>posure to t)
messages is li!el$ to 3reiterate- confirm and nourish4 their )alues and perspecti)es
21. "ulti)ation theor$ 8Jeorge Jer*er et al. C?=69 #ea)$ t) )iewers thin! differentl$ to light
)iewers a*out the world around them 3 'ean Lorld 2$ndrome4 Eg. 3"rime in prime time is at
least C0 times as rampant as in the real world4 "oncept of mainstreaming , appeal to *road
audience interest homogeniBation of di)ergent )iews Jer*er fears that t) *roadcasting e>cludes
di)erse opinions 8too much consensus , limited choice of @reasona*le optionsA represented9
26. "ulti)ation theor$ 8Jeorge Jer*er et al. C?=69 In)ol)es 3 T$pes of anal$sisR Institutional
process anal$sis R Eg. the production and distri*ution of a tele)ised sporting e)ent can *e
anal$sed in respect of how decisions are made and power e>ercised. 'essage s$stem anal$sis - ie
e>tensi)e content anal$sis of media productions- such as childrenA t) "ulti)ation anal$sis E
sur)e$s of peopleAs opinions on certain su*;ects after t) )iewing. 'easures the differential in
conceptions of 3the outside world4 *etween light and hea)$ )iewers.
2<. "ulti)ation theor$ 8Jeorge Jer*er et al. C?=69 3 T& pro)ides a guide and offers @t)
answersA to the Puestion of how to act and *eha)e in the outside world.4 8including promotion of
capitalist )iews in the western world9
2=. Agenda setting and social functions of media 8see 'c"om*s and 2haw- C?<29 similar to
culti)ation theor$ "oncerned with how pu*lic opinion is shaped *$ media Again- loo!ing at long
term effects 'edia agenda 8patterns of news co)erage9 (u*lic agenda 8concerns of the pu*lic9
2?. Implication , mass media create passi)e and drows$ audience
30. 'c"om*s and Jil*ert- C?=6 E>tensi)e content anal$sis to show that 3Through their
routine structuring of social and political realit$- the news media influence the agenda of pu*lic
issues around which political campaigns and )oter decisions are organiBed4 2alience gi)en to
certain news item *$ ;ournalists 2tories selected in accordance with certain news )alues 2ee
#asinaAs (resentation
3C. Ji)ing salience to certain news items: %rePuenc$ of repetition 8rolling news stor$9
(rominence with which items are displa$ed 8headline- salience of media images o)er issues for
readers/)iewers etc.9 +egree of conflict 8political scandals S newsworth$ than consensus9
%raming of news item 8in what conte>t / when it appears eg. summer holida$ wee!end E news
a*out e>cessi)e teenage drin!ing9
32. Tohn (ilgerAs The Lar Uou donAt 2ee http://g321crit.*logspot.com/
33. Hwnership and 'edia (ower A 'ar>ist )iew of media will focus on the relationship
*etween the pro)iders of media- *roader power structures and the messages in media products
circulated *$ these power-holding institutions. This is media hegemon$ / ideolog$ theor$.
Hutfo>ed is a !e$ e>ample. http:// www.$outu*e.com/watch7) E2IwIRQ'1noU
3.. Hutfo>ed Lhat does Hutfo>ed re)eal7 Is this a shoc!7 (ower and influence +emocrac$
and representation Lho owns $our media7 #ow are $ou influenced7
31. Two 2tep %low 'odel VatB and 5aBarsfeld- C?11 'cFuail and Lindahl- C?=6 The stars
are @ opinion leaders A The circles are e)er$one else
36. Two step flow #asinaAs presentation 2tud$ of how people influence the flow of mass
media messages %IR2T 'ATHR RE/TTA5 TH T#EHRIE2 H% 'E+IA E%%E"T2
3<. VatB and 5aBarsfeld compare the role of opinion leaders to the role of media in
influencing indi)idualsA decision-ma!ing processes. Hpinion leaders from all occupational
groups- all socio-economic *ac!grounds Ideas can flow from the media source To opinion
leaders And from them to the less acti)e sections of the population &er$ rele)ant toda$ with new
and social mediaO
3=. Toseph VapplerAs (henomenistic approach 8same line as 2 step flow9 %ocuses on how
audiences respond to media messages in a wider conte>t 5oo!s at how media generates a
stimulus to which audiences might respond /T asserts that mass media cannot *e seen in
isolation from all other influences that cause human *eha)iour to change- or their attitudes or
actions
3?. VapplerAs conclusions 'edia in most cases do not cause effects on their audiences Instead
the$ function as one component along a spectrum of factors which are 3more li!el$ to reinforce
than to change4 peopleAs *eha)iour and attitudes.
.0. VapplerAs conclusions 1 main mediating factors: An indi)idualAs predisposed opinions
and how these tend to mean the$ use media in selecti)e wa$s The group to which the indi)idual
*elongs and how the predispositions of the group impact on the indi)idualAs opinions
Interpersonal dissemination of media content 8ie li!e-minded people9 Hpinion leadership 8similar
to 2 step flow9: H5 use media messages to reinforce their predisposed opinions rather than
simpl$ rela$ what these messages ha)e to sa$ Role of mass media in a free enterprise societ$
8prerePuisite to please *oth ad)ertisers and audiences institutions tend to produce content *ased
on successful formulas rather than tr$ out more inno)ati)e content and run ris! of displeasing
sta!eholders9
.C. /ses and Jratifications lumer and VatB- C?<. Le /2E media 8acti)e- not passi)e9 for:
+i)ersion (ersonal Relationships (ersonal Identit$ 2ur)eillance
.2. lumer and VatB- C?<. %ind out what the$ argue in their stud$ 8eg- need precedes the
effect9 %ind out in what wa$s this line of thin!ing has *een created- particularl$ in toda$As
media-saturated societ$. Eg some sa$ that this theor$ smac!s of a mere defence of media
institutionsA oldest argument- ie. 3we onl$ gi)e the people what the$ want4
.3. "onclusion &ested interests in appropriating *lame at the doorstep of the media 'ost
frePuent concern is new media/cultural *eha)iour and practices All media content is not the same
or e)en for e)er$one 2implistic cause and effect claims are pro*lematic
... 2pectrum of *eha)iourism +irect Effects theor$ Theories of Acti)e Audiences 'edia
stimulus is followed *$ straightforward audience response Audiences use media to satisf$
particular needs and to ena*le the flow of communications from person to person 2ee 5asswell
and the effecti)eness of propaganda "an $ou fit in all the theories we ha)e seen along that
spectrum7
.1. . Research Jroups "onduct $our research using the rele)ant slides and finding more
sources 8which $ou will list9- including at least C or 2 )ideos from UouTu*e or &imeo or: %ind
at least one real e>ample from the media to appl$ $our theor$ to. (repare to (RE2EQT and
TEA"# $our findings to the rest of the group 8((T or (reBi9 , aim for 1 to C0 minutes. Topics to
choose from , C per @groupA: "ulti)ation Theor$ Toseph VapplerAs (henomenistic approach /ses
and gratifications - lumer and VatB- C?<. /ses and gratifications , criticism of the theor$
.6. http://www.peersunited.com/media-influencing-teenagers/