Audience Theories

When I am constructing a text or analysing one, I will need to consider the destination of that text and how the audience will respond to that text.

There are 6 main audience theory: 

1. The Hypodermic Syringe Theory 

Perhaps the most simple to understand. According to the theory the media is like a syringe which injects ideas, attitudes and beliefs into the audience who as a powerless mass have little choice but to be influenced- in other words, you watch something violent, you may go and do something violent, you see a women washing up on TV and you will want to do same yourself if you are a women and if you are a man you will expect women to do the washing up for you.  

2. The Culmination Theory 

Because of the difficulty of proving the effects of individual media texts on their audience a more refined version of the theory has been created called the culmination mode. According to this, while any one media text does not have too much effect, years and year of watching more violence will make you less sensitive to violence, years and years of watching women being mistreated in soaps will make you less bothered about it in real life.

3. The Two Step Flow Theory
This theory says that most people form their opinions under the influence of opinion leaders, who in turn are influenced by the mass media.  
In two step flow theory, information from the media moves in two distinct stages: 
First: Individuals(opinion leaders) who pay close attention to the mass media and it's messages receive the information. 
Second: Opinion leaders pass on their own interpretations in addition to the actual media content. 

4. Uses and Gratifications Theory 
According to uses and gratification theory, we all have different uses for the media and we make choices over what we want to watch. In other words, when we encounter a media text, it is not just some kind of mindless entertainment- we are expecting to get something from it: some king of gratification. It is suggested that the uses and gratifications theory has to fulfil one the following when we choice a form of media: 
I. Information- we want to find out about society and the world- we want to satisfy our curiosity. This would fit the news and documentaries.
II. Personal Identity-we may watch television or film in order to look for our behaviour.
III. Integration and Social Interaction-the ability for media products to produce a topic of conversation between other people, sharks debates (etc who is left on the x-factor)
IV. Entertainment- sometimes we simply use the media for enjoyment, relaxation or just to fill time. 

5. Reception Analysis Theory 
It takes a closer look at what is actually going on when an  audience encounters a media text. It provides an analysis of how audience perceive a certain media message. However the message is not perceived by everyone in the same manner depending on different society groups, age genre and ethnicity. 

6.  Theory of Preferred, Negotiated and Oppositional Reading 
Preferred Reading- It is what the producer of the text wanted the audience to read from the text.

Negotiated Reading- a reading of a text witch assumes that no absolute meaning exists and that meaning is generated and negotiated by what the reader brings tot the text in term of attitudes, values, beliefs and experience.

Oppositional Reading-a reading of a media text that reject the ideological positioning and apparent meaning intended by the producers of the text and subtitles a radical alternative. 
 

First draft for my front cover and contents page

I chose black and claret colors for my front cover, because Shebbear`s logo( my school) presented in the same color. Under the title I used a stripe to separate the title from the pictures and cover lines.

I placed the pictures on the left side and the cover lines on the right side. And these are fitted with each other, the pictures and the cover lines in the same line. the main image of the two sixth formers are symbolize that students who are going to university.

Feed back:

On my contents page I used a background image because it`s look more interesting and the colors fit with the color of the three sub-headings. The images on the left side again and the bottom of the page. And the cover lines on the right side but the features is separate with a line from the other articles, and these are presented in bold capitals. the pictures shows the main topics of the magazine.

Flat plan for my contents page

Here is my flat plan for my contents page of my school magazine.

I wanted to put a frame around the pictures, text and titles to be more ,outstanding' and this is presented in black, because I wanted to do this with an opposite color then the ,contents' title. 

The title is presented in red and large to be bold and eye chatching. I placed the pictures on the left side and these pictures present the main topics in my magazine. On the right side I placed three sub-headings which is: features, events and extras. In the features I will write about the main stories and topics, in the events I will write about the upcameing events and recent events, and finally in the extras I will put some interesting things in the magazine, like tickets for the events or christmas calendar.