Active media audiences L.O: to explain why audiences use media texts and apply the uses and gratifications theory to examples. What media do you use in a typical day? • Make a bullet point list of anything you have used today, such as the radio or an app. • Why do you use these media products?
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Active media audiences
L.O: to explain why audiences use media texts and apply the uses and gratifications theory to examples.
What media do you use in a typical day?
• Make a bullet point list of anything you have used today,
such as the radio or an app.• Why do you use these media
products?
Uses and gratifications• We choose to use media products for a variety of different reasons.• Two media theorists called Blumler and Katz developed a theory
called ‘Uses and Gratifications’.• Instead of asking “what does media do to people?” it asks “what do
people do with media?”• It suggests that the audience is active and make choices about their
media usage.
What might we get out of using media?• Information or education – we can use media to
teach us things and develop our understanding of the world around us.• Identification – we can use media to help us
understand ourselves.• Entertainment – we can use media to get entertained.• Social interaction – we can use media to interact with
others around us.• Escapism – we can use media to escape the stresses
of everyday life.
Uses and gratifications of… FacebookWhat uses and gratifications would an
audience member get out of Facebook?
• Social interaction – enables us to build communities and keep in touch with people.• Identification – we can make sense of
ourselves. What we like, who we speak to, the clothes we wear and music we listen to.
Uses and gratifications of… BBC NewsWhat uses and gratifications would an
audience member get out of BBC News?
• Information and education – the news helps us to understand the world around us. We can use the stories to help make sense of political, social and economical events.
Uses and gratifications of… BuzzFeed
What uses and gratifications would an audience member get out of BuzzFeed?
• Social interaction – enables audiences to communicate with others through comments sections.
• Entertainment – articles and videos are designed for humour and entertainment.
• Education and information – acts as a news site which informs the reader in an informal and entertaining way.
• Identification – articles and quizzes developed to allow audiences to consider “who they are”. What foods do they like? Where should they live in their 20s?
Uses and gratifications of… Pretty Little LiarsWhat uses and gratifications would an
audience member get out of Pretty Little Liars?
• Entertainment – simple entertainment from narrative.• Social interaction – the enigma and
mystery of the programme enables audiences to discuss theories and make predictions.• Escapism – the show allows people to
switch off and forget their everyday more “realistic” lives.
Plenary – how are uses and gratifications helpful?• Explain in one sentence why you think uses and gratifications are
important to the people who make media (producers) and the people who consume media (audiences).
Challenge: Choose one example of a media product (i.e. BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show) and swap with your partner. Can they list what the
gratifications are for the audience?
Applying uses and gratifications
L.O: Design a magazine cover aimed at a given audience with a rationale to justify choices.
Uses and gratificationsAccording to Blumler and Katz, what are the 5 reasons that an
audience might choose to use a media product?
Creative task• You are in charge of designing and creating a new magazine.• Investors in the project want to see a new magazine cover before they
are willing to invest money.
TASK: Design a new magazine cover aimed at a specific target audience. You will allocated your target audience. Think carefully about…• Colours and images (i.e. cover stars)• Featured stories in the issue• Items that will appeal to your target audience
RationaleTASK: Write 150-200 words which explains why you made the design
choices for your magazine cover.• Make reference to your target audience and how you appeal to them.• Talk about the choices you made with featured articles.• Talk about the choices of colour/image, etc.• Try to explain the gratifications your target audience will get out of
your magazine and how this is reflected in the cover.
Peer assessment Clearly appeals to the allocated target
audience Uses design choices such as colour,
featured stories and images to appeal to target audience
Tries to explain the uses and gratifications that the audience will get from the product
Rationale is clear and well-structured
1 x
1 x
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