Audiences

How we use or read a text depends on who we are. We all see things differently. We all love certain types of film and music and hate other forms for example.

Media Institutions use this knowledge when they create their products for us. They can challenge what we think or make more of what we love.

Audiences are different and in media studies we Media are particularly interested in the target audience. This is the audience that media producers aim their product at.

Media Institutions often put their audiences into categories depending upon their social, ethnic or economic backgrounds. This is called Demographics. They use this to work out how to best target their shows and products.

Of course this is not an exact science but look at the following advert and think about how different demographic groups may respond to it.

The font used in the slogan

Denotation

Connotation

Fill in the blanks:

An old lady may think....

A latin american teenager

may think.....

A middle-aged labourer may think......

Media producers have a profile of the group and individuals whom they see as their intended audience.

A film about teenagers will have a target audience of teenagers. The Harry Potter films will have children and the family as the target audience.

For any media text we ask who is the target audience for this text. Then we have to ask what sort of audience is the target audience? Is it a mass audience?

Mass Audience:

Niche Audience:

Provide Definitions

Every media is aimed at an audience!

Think about mobile phone companies how do you think the following companies may have different

audience, and how the company may target them in the following adverts?

•Click Link: China MobileClick Link: Smartone Advert

China Mobile Smart Tone

Age bracket

Gender

Social Class

Interests

What evidence supports this?

Different Ways to Read a Text The makers of the product being advertised and the company who

designed the advert itself will be aware of the polysemic range of meanings in it. This means that the product may be read in different ways by different people. We

all see what we want to see.

This can be both a strength and a weakness. Give reasons why.

Strength Weakness

Student Notes

Preferred or dominant reading (the one that the advertiser most wants you to see)

The dominant reading of McDonalds commercials is that they provide a

healthy balanced diet, and we should eat their food for breakfast,

lunch and dinner.

Oppositional (The message or reading the advertiser doesn’t want

you to see)

The oppositional reading maybe the health concerns that eating fastfood can have an individual. McDonalds don’t want you to see how many

calories, salt and sugar their products contain.

Negotiated reading (where you see both

readings and agree on middle ground)

A negotiated reading maybe that we may treat ourselves to

McDonalds now and again, but we understand that it is not advisable

to eat everyday.

Now watch the following advert and see if you can “read” it in different ways providing a

response in the table. Click Here: PCCW HKT

Preferred or dominant reading (the one that the advertiser most

wants you to see)

Oppositional (The message or reading

the advertiser doesn’t want you to

see)

Negotiated reading (where you see both readings and agree on middle ground)

Just why do we watch Big Bang Theory?

Media Theorists Blumler and Katz presented their model of audience uses and gratifications declaring that there were five main reasons why audiences consumed media text.. Could you give examples of tv programmes or films that you match each idea?

To be informed and educated

To identify with characters and situations

To be entertained

To be able share the experience with others

To escape from the real world

Student Notes

Activity

1.Choose a television programme you like. Break down what exactly you like about the programme.

2.What particular features do you identify with?

3.What things particularly attract you about this programme?

4.Now try and work out who the producers think is the target audience - is it you? (If it’s on after 9pm, then it’s probably not you!)

5.How big is this audience? (Check episodes on wiki for ratings)

Student Notes

Audience Controversies

• Some people are very concerned about the effects of the media on society and on young people in particular.

• They worry that we watch the sex and violence and may copy what we see. It is as if we have been injected by a big hypodermic syringe by its ill effects.

Click Link: The Media Manipulations

The effects of Media on teens

Devise a presentation on whether you think the ‘Media has a negative effective on

teenagers'. This should be supported with evidence (images, videos, text, case

studies).