Audience Theory

Today in class, sir asked us two questions;
1) What happens when we consume media texts?
2) Why do we consume the media texts that we do?

Before considering these questions we looked at a model of the media with given examples from around the room to show our understanding. The model goes like this;

The text (such as music, film, radio, television, newspapers, websites etc) is what the audience consumes. We have to consider what, why and how the audience consumes these texts as well. The audience then makes a financial transaction to a particular institution (such as BBC, MTV, Disney, Capital, Microsoft, EA, Sky etc) who in returns produces the text they want.

We also discussed issues surrounding this which would damage this media cycle. For example illegal downloads or piracy. If the audience are finding new ways where they do not pay institutions (they may be able to get it for free or cheaper somewhere else) then it is the institution that is suffering as no money is coming in from the text they have produced; and therefore no profit to go onto making new texts in the future. Take Dreamworks for example, if they spend £12 and half million on a film, they are then going to need to make more than 12 and half million in return in order to make a profit. They may have to price cinema tickets and DVD's very high (alongside selling soundtracks and other promotional merchandise) if their audience number is low which will only result in the audience turning to piracy and such.

Other institutions have found solutions into making money none the less. Take a music institution for example, if their Cd's aren't selling because of illegal downloads than concerts are normally a successful way into gradually getting money in. Most people are prepared to pay a large amount if it meant they would see their idol up close and personal. However this is very time consuming and exhausting to do it frequently so doesn't happen often!

Afterwards sure asked us to think of a thriller/horror film which had effected us and why. My one was the film "The Evil Dead" which was actually banned for the cinema. I saw a scene from it once before on the 100 greatest scariest films then a few years later watched about 20 minutes of it with Samantha and had to turn it off!! It just shows how much a film can disturb you.

Sir then put this into context with the effect model;


The Effects Model:

This theory suggests that the consumption of media texts effects (often adversely) the audience. The audience is influenced, sometimes to replicate what they have consumed.
Also known as "The Hypodermic Syringe Model"-
Here the audience is passive. The images of the text are "injected" directly into the brain and the audience is powerless to resist.

Evidence of this;

Case Study: The Murder of Stefan Pakeerah

It is believed that Warren Leblanc murdered his friend Stefan Pakeerah by imitating the attack strategies from the controversial violent game "Man Hunt" in which he became obssessed with. Coincidently the game suddenly got increasingly significant demands once it was removed from UK branches such as Game and Dixons.