Passive and active consumption would be how a viewer would take what they have watched and process it. so do we either watch it and just agree and carry on with it and accept that information is right or do we question and oppose it. for example with the news when someone is reported on and the news thinks the person in question is guilty but hasn't been convicted and hasn't had a trail but the person watches immediately thinks this person is guilty compared to someone who would watch it and only make their mind up about the person after their own research and when the trails and verdicts have been announced.
This is a perfect example for the Passive or Active Consumption theory as when the trails were first happening people were being passive and believing he was the killer until more active consumers watched it and realized there's more to the trail and that he could be innocent years after the trail was complete which meant this series was started and the investigation flared back up with people at home joining in with the investigation.
Hypodermic needle model-
The "Hypodermic needle theory" or the "Magic bullet theory" is that many believe that the media can influence a large group of people by using mass media such as social media and Television by injecting them with information to make them react in a certain way. This would be designed for a passive audience member when they don't notice so people are sitting ducks as they are unable to avoid it. So they believe whatever information is injected into them without looking into it using different sources. This has been used for nefarious reasons by people such as Hitler to spread hate and propaganda.
The Nazis use of propaganda was a massive part of the Nazi war effort and it worked. By Injecting the public with all this Anti-Semitic content and not allowing any counter argument meant that ever the non-passive audience members when along with it and people believed that the Jewish community has ruined Germany and that they should pay for crime they had not committed with the use of Concentration camps, Ghettos and having to wear stars along with the destruction of their businesses and homes. This was all because the media had fed them lies which were built of fear and the lack of common knowledge and sense.
Uses and gratifications model
The uses and gratifications model is when media tries and understand how and how people use and seek out specific media to satisfy their needs. While many other theories try and figure out what media does to people, UGT focuses on what we do with media. The UGT theory suggests that we are not a passive audience and that we chose what massive media we watch and what media we consume. it is said we do this to achieve our own personal gratification.
A great example for this would be going to the cinema. This is the main form of chosen media and entertainment because the media wouldn't have a big influence on deciding what films you want to go anyway because of the limited times you would see the advert. Also because you as an audience has chosen and paid to watch. It also isn't just watching the film is also the cinema experience of getting popcorn and the cinema in general.
Reception study
This theory is based on how the audience receives the information from literary text being given to them. So each member of the audience will have different feelings about what they are watching or reading. there director will always will have a Preferred meaning he wants from the viewer so they will be able to understand fully what they are watching and they agree to what the directors producing. There are different responses for different viewers such as a Negotiated response. This is where the audience hasn't quite made up their mind and still think both sides of the matter are valid. On the disagreeing side would be the Oppositional audience members would understand the preferred reading but doesn't accept the dominants code.
Such as with advertising, such as when it comes up to summer and everyone wants that "Beach body" look and would show an in shape male or female as almost a goal for people to strive to and this would be a normal beach body. Many people felt that this would body shame anyone who was self conscious about themselves then they would feel even worse after looking at this advert and seeing what everyone wants and they look at themselves and see something wrong. Where as people would like something like it because it gives them a goal to work to. Many think that Britain is becoming too relaxed with obesity and the body image in the world.
There is Dominant, Negotiated and Oppositional. A good example to illustrate theses models would be with the documentary Bowling for Columbine, Where Director Michael Moore looked into the shootings and its possible link to relaxed gun laws, such as when he goes to a bank that offers a free gun if he was to open an account. After watching this documentary it was clear his preferred readership would be dominant. This is proven by the popularity of the documentary that shook not just America but also the world. This was a very sensitive matter that most people were afraid to talk about in case it triggered an uproar and mass hate. This also accommodates the Mean World syndrome, where all of this being in the news and all over the media, along with other crime and tragic stories makes people start to be afraid of just going to the shops because they too believe something awful like what's happening around the world could happen to them.
Unbeknownst to these people the opposite was happening crime rates were going down but because of how the news portrays the world most of the time people were scared. Michael Moore includes this theory because of how the media portrayed the matter with almost idolising the killers and go into so much detail about what they've done instead of just localising it in the effort not to spread mass hysteria. They didn't really listen to the families of the shooting but focused of all the reasons behind the shooting and trying to blame people like the creators of south park as well as Marilyn Mason. During this event the U.S. dropped more bombs overseas than it ever had. The media keeps the public scared using shows and advertisement to keep people consuming in the hope something bad wont happen to them. Michael Moore was highly criticised for this documentary but it was also praised highly because this also proved a lot of theories people have a bout media and also the public in general.
M3: You have been graded a MERIT for 6.3. You explain how media audiences respond to media products with reference to detailed illustrative examples and with generally correct use of subject terminology. To improve your grade you would need to comprehensively explain how media audiences respond to media products with elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly
ReplyDeleteTim you choose some really good examples here and use them to discuss each theory, your images relate to the discussion and you map out the key terminology in your writing. Well done. To Improve this grade you need to go into more detail with your existing examples for instance for Reception Theory you mention the example Bowling for Columbine however a Distinction grade requires you explore that example more using the criteria so you might want to discuss this film from the three different audience positions.