Media audiences
The classic definition of “media audience” is people who consume the media, in the past, they are readers who reading newspapers or magazines, and listeners who listening to the radio. Nowadays, media audience can be viewers who watching television program of users who surfing on the internet. And there are two views of “media audience”, on the one hand, some discourses note that audience is passive, which means media dominant audience reactions and feelings. On the other hand, more researchers believe that the audience is active and play an important role in affecting media. This essay will first explain these two conceptualizations of media audience, and then use different theories and approaches to make comparisons between these two points of views with specific examples.
The idea of mass audience is arisen from the arrival of mass society. In Emile Durkheim’s analysis, Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union could be considered as mass society. In her studies, people in that mass society are bonded by needs and had collective conscience, so does the mass audience which mentioned in the mass media theory. The mass media theory points out that media have ability to influence people’s attitudes, behaviors and values, for example the Direct Effect Theory, also labeled as Hypodermic needle theory. The famous “Invaders from Mars”, that is, an American radio station make up the news of invaders from Mars and made thousands of residents into emergency situations in 1938. People who believe in Hypodermic needle theory pointed out that this example proved mass audience are one-way affected by the media. Moreover, the Propaganda analysis emphasizes that mass audience can be easily affected by the media. For instance, Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister had put the symbol of Nazi everywhere on the street and the wall, in order to somewhat convince German people to adopt their idea about World War. And they were successful in some extent.
Media audience is
The idea of mass audience is arisen from the arrival of mass society. In Emile Durkheim’s analysis, Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union could be considered as mass society. In her studies, people in that mass society are bonded by needs and had collective conscience, so does the mass audience which mentioned in the mass media theory. The mass media theory points out that media have ability to influence people’s attitudes, behaviors and values, for example the Direct Effect Theory, also labeled as Hypodermic needle theory. The famous “Invaders from Mars”, that is, an American radio station make up the news of invaders from Mars and made thousands of residents into emergency situations in 1938. People who believe in Hypodermic needle theory pointed out that this example proved mass audience are one-way affected by the media. Moreover, the Propaganda analysis emphasizes that mass audience can be easily affected by the media. For instance, Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister had put the symbol of Nazi everywhere on the street and the wall, in order to somewhat convince German people to adopt their idea about World War. And they were successful in some extent.
Media audience is
References: 1. Williams, K. (2003) Understanding Media Theory. (London: Hodder Education. Chapter 8 ‘the audience strikes back: new audience and reception theory’, pp. 99) 2 3. Williams, K. (2003) Understanding Media Theory. (London: Hodder Education. Chapter 8 ‘the audience strikes back: new audience and reception theory’, pp. 107) 4 5. Branston, G. (2006) The Media Student’s Book, 5th edition. (London: Routledge, pp. 388.) 6 7. Branston, G. (2006) The Media Student’s Book, 5th edition. (London: Routledge, pp. 385.) Bibliography Branston, G. (2006) The Media Student’s Book, 5th edition. (London: Routledge, pp.374-400.) Elizabeth, Cowie, ‘Rear Window Ethics’, in Jeffrey Geiger and R Williams, K. (2003) Understanding Media Theory. (London: Hodder Education. Chapter 8 ‘the audience strikes back: new audience and reception theory’, pp. 190-201) Williams, K