Media Audiences

Media

refers to various channels or tools used for storing and delivering information or data.

Newspapers

Provide news, features, and opinion pieces on a daily or weekly basis.

Books

Include fiction and non-fiction works, providing extensive information on various subjects.

Journals

Academic and professional publications focused on specific fields of study or industry sectors.

Television

Delivers visual and audio content through programs, news, documentaries, and entertainment shows.

Radio

Provides audio content, including music, news, talk shows, and advertisements.

Blogs

Personal or professional websites where individuals or organizations post articles and updates.

Podcasts

Digital audio files available for download or streaming, covering a wide range of topics.

Webinars

Online seminars or workshops conducted over the internet.

E-books

Digital versions of books accessible on electronic devices.

Traditional Media

Includes print and broadcast media, which have been dominant for most of the 20th century.

Convergence

The blending of traditional and digital media, leading to new forms of content delivery and interaction.

Federal Communications Commission

What is FCC?

Misinformation

The spread of false information and "fake news" can have serious societal impacts.

Class A

Upper Middle Class

Category C1

Lower Middle Class

Category E

Those at the lowest level of subsistence (e.g., Unemployed, Pensioners)

Cosmopolitan

Aimed at a female demographic with content based on female interests.

GQ

A men’s lifestyle magazine featuring articles on male fashion, style, and culture.

The Aspirer

Motivated by status, they seek approval from others and are often materialistic.

The Explorer

Driven by a need for discovery, adventure, and new experiences.

The Mainstreamer

Prefers security, belonging, and routines; they are the largest group.

Broad Audience

Some media texts aim to attract a wide range of people. Example: Radio Times.

Niche Audience

Other media texts target specific interests or demographics. Example: BBC Gardeners' World Magazine or Classic Land Rover.

Narrowcasting

When a media text targets a very specific and small audience

respond

Different age groups _______ differently

Cultural

_________ background influences response

Situation

The context in which media is consumed affects response.

Box Office Takings

Used to gauge film success.

BARB Statistics

Weekly reports on the top ten most popular TV programs.

The Stuart Hall's Theory

The Uses and Gratifications Theory

Audience Response Theories

Active Audience

In Stuart Hall’s Theory, these audience engages, interprets, and responds to media texts, challenging the ideas encoded in them.

Passive Audience

In Stuart Hall’s Theory, these audience accepts the messages in media texts without question, more likely to be directly influenced.

Preferred reading

Reading where audience responds as intended by the producer.

Negotiated reading

Reading where audience partly accepts and partly rejects the content.

Oppositional reading

Reading where audience understands but opposes the intended message.

Category B

Middle Class (e.g., Teacher, Mid-level Manager)

Category C2

Skilled Working Class (e.g., Electrician, Carpenter)

Category D

Working Class (e.g., Manual Laborer, Factory Worker)

BBC Newsnight

Targets an older, adult audience with detailed and in-depth news content and analysis.