Uses and gratification theory, reception theory and effects theory.

Uses and gratification theory

Uses and gratification theory is the opposite of effects theory. Uses and gratification theory assumes an active audience, which chooses the text it consumes and where individuals have reasons for consuming these texts.

Reception theory

The reception theory sometimes known as reception analysis which focuses on what people see in the media, on the meanings they produce when they interpret media texts. This theory assumes an active audience.

• A key theorist is David Morley

Effects theory

Started by Frankfurt School, specifically a group of social scientists originally based at the institution for social research in years between the two world wars. They were concerned with the power in mass media and made clear criticisms of a capitalist system which controlled media output as a result this theory assumes to a passive audience.
Ø Hypodermic needle model
Ø Violence in the media
Ø Cultivation theory
Ø Two-step flow

Similarities between the three theories

Ø Uses and gratification theory and reception theory both assume an active audience.
Ø Effects theory and uses and gratification theory both are very simplistic, meaning they are both to/over simple.
Ø Reception theory and effects theory refer to the concept of hegemony but in different concepts.

Differences between the three theories

Ø Uses and gratification and reception both assume an active audience whereas, effects theory assumes a passive audience.
Ø Reception theory concentrates on the audience itself and how it responds to the text. It is based on the ideas that no text has one single meaning instead the audience themselves help create the meaning of the text, whereas, the uses and gratification theory concentrates on why we read the text in a certain way.
Ø The effects theory thinks that the mass audience get manipulated by the media; hegemony of the ruling classes, however the other tow theories say different things.
Ø Uses and gratification theory has more choices than reception theory

Most useable theory

I think the most useable is the uses and gratification theory because we as a audience have the chance to decide what text we want to watch and are not forces as a result we are a active audience. It is also useable because we do watch the text we decide for a reason, the main reason I watch certain text is for entertainment and to pass time when I have nothing to do. To a certain extent, effects theory can be used because of moral panics such as the people wearing hoodies are thugs, well this how the media represents them as and the media can be seen as the ruling class (hegemony). Reception theory is also a useable theory, for example where David Morley conducted the detailed study, and discovered the three main types of readings such as the dominant (hegemonic), negotiated and oppositional reading. These three reading depends on the audience and how they want to read the text, though it also depends on the text itself as well.

5 Programmes

Pluralism

This is the opposite to Marxist theory, Marxist perspectives on the media media centre on the belief that the mass media are a tool used by ruling bodies to maintain hegenomic control over the masses whereas pluralists take a more open view where the audience are an active audience.

5 programmes:

BBC News: Where current news around the world is broadcasted to inform the public. As this is shown of a public service broadcaster (PSB), it remit is to entertain, inform and educate viewers. Watching the news is entirely the choice of the viewers as they are not forced to watch though some people decide to watch it, so this means the audince are an active audience, deciding whether they want to watch it or not.

Strictly come dancing: this is a dance contest. This is a show where the veiwers are able to escape from the usual soaps and see something different.

The X factor: This is similar to strictly come dancing however this is a singing contest. This is another programme where the audience are able to chose what they want to watch and escaping from the usual soaps and issues in the soaps.

CSI: crime scene investigation: This is an investigative programme as this doesnt go on about issues and more about entertainment.

Countryfile: This is an informative text as it informs viewers on wildlife creatures. This is shown to people as its very different to other programmes shown.

The media informs the viewers and theviewers are an active audience, who get to decide what they want and have a variety of programmes to pick from. The media may inform public but it is still known as the FOURTH ESTATE.

Media organisations have autonomy from the state (independence from govenment), audiences therefore can either confom, accommondate or reject the texts shown.

Marxism

Marxism- political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx.

Marxist ideologies

Marx argued that capitalism is based on profit motive, meaning that under capitalism (society based on wealth), profits originate from the exploitation of workers.

Capatist socialty:

• Proletariet- the working class (who sell the labour)
• Bourgeoisie- own their own production and employes the working class.

Bourgeosie can be further divided:

-wealthy bourgeosie: do not need to work themselves

-petty bourgeosie:employes others and work themselves

Marxism and the media

-Media producers: they maintain the status quo, keeping everything the same. Examples are newspapers, soaps and adverts.

-The culture industries: they construct texts to generate mass audiences by dumbing down media texts.

-Mass media: entertainign workers by drip feeding them ideologies and beleifs (effects theory)

Althusser

Ideological state apparatuses (ISAs) operate alongside Repressive state apparatuses (RSAs), (miliatary, police etc...) to maintain these bourgeois ideologies:

1. religion
2. education
3. family (values)
4. legal and political system
5. cultural and communications systems

Gramsci

Hegemony- the dominance of ideologies of the ruling class. By maintaing these ideologies, the ruling class could retain hegemonic control.

Eisenstein and montage

Sergei eisenstein took a structurelist approach, complaining that cinema is designed to make audience believe in capitalist propaganda and ideologies. In his films the narrative is shown through the montage.

Williams

High culture: status very different from popular culture events. Popular culture is seen as second class.