Audiences

Audience theorys

Hypodermic Theory- the media injects the audience.
The media control the message and infulence of the audience.
This theory says that the audience is weak, vunerable, drugged and dumb.
The audience must be protected from the power of the media.

This theory views the media as a bad influence on people and makes out that the audience is dumb and will listen to anything the media tells them and it is dangerous for them.

Uses and Gratification Theory- The meaning isnt fixed or determined.
This theory says that the meaning can be encoded or decoded, there will be a difference between what the media intend it to mean and what you decide it is.
YOU use the media for different reasons:

• Education
• Escapism or stress release
• Information
• A mean of self identification
• Group or society belonging
• Sexual stimulation

Subjuectives- Things like age, gender, class, religion, income, location, lifestyle etc. can determine the social position of a person
I produced a questionnaire which asked people questions about their parents job, interests, how often they go out and more questions that could be used to determine their social class.

Representation and Mediation

Representation and Mediation

Implicit Personality Theory
This theory explains the process we go through when stereotyping.
As humans we use our unique knowledge about people when we judge them .
Past experience is more important than the persons actual personality features when we judge them. Traits exist more in the eye of the beholder than in reality.
We categorise people into types (IE. workaholic, feminist) to simplify perception of people. In our minds we put together traits of people and make a prototype, which is a mix of traits that we may consider a typical of that category.

Mediation

Mediation is the process of representation.
Selection is what has ended up on the final product, much more will have been left out.
Organisation
The various parts will have been organised in a way that real life cannot. In visual media this involves mise-en-scene and the organisation of narrative.
Focusing
All media ends up with the audience being encouraged towards something imparticular.

Stereotyping

Media Studies
Stereotyping

Representation is the way that people are shown.
Stereotyping is a standardised attitude that is related to a certain group and members of the group.
The Implicit personality theory explains the process we go through when stereotyping.
We use our unique knowledge and past experience to to judge people.
Gender stereotyping is about how men and women should typically look. Female stereotyping fits into a few categories; supermom, sex kitten, career girl. All over the media woman are shown conventionally thin, white and good looking. This pressurises readers into trying to look like this which can make them insecure about their bodies and looks.
Male stereotyping is usually masculinity, for example big muscles and coolness. The media constantly use good looking men, which can make males try to fit in with this stereotype and make them unhappy with their bodies and looks.
I did a case study on stereotyping in which i collected images of a certain type of music artist.

Introduction

Introduction to Media Studies

'The media' refers to different channels we use to communicate information in the world.
Media studies involves creativity, analysis, debating, technical expertise, reflection and an understanding that comes from experience.
These are the key concepts of media
Representation
Audience
Ideology
Language
Insitutions
Narrative
Genre