Lecture 11 The audience of mass communication ◆ Objectives o Understand the concepts of audience and their various implications Have an idea on the approaches to the understanding of audience and two models in particular: passive and active audience Understand their relationship with social and media development
Lecture 11 The audience of mass communication Objectives: Understand the concepts of audience and their various implications Have an idea on the approaches to the understanding of audience and two models in particular: passive and active audience Understand their relationship with social and media development
Media and audience ◆ Early:( pre-print e. g Modern:(audiovisual) religion service, visitors dispersed, mass news letters national, passive and drama/theatre): localized, active. choice. shared passive, Known and individual ◆ Middle:( printing) ◆ Activity I Ispersed, national, passive, choice, shared How about the audience anonymous. hetergeneous in digital time?
Media and audience Early: (pre-print e.g. religion service, visitors, news letters, drama/theatre): localized, passive, known Middle: (printing) dispersed, national, passive, choice, shared, anonymous, hetergeneous Modern: (audiovisual): dispersed, mass, national, passive and active, choice, shared and individual Activity I How about the audience in digital time?
Post-modern(digital) ◆ Dispersed ◆ Multinationals ◆ Global access ◆ Increasingly active 类A· Unlimited choice Increasingly individual ◆ Known? Specified?
Post-modern (digital) Dispersed Multinationals Global access Increasingly active Unlimited choice Increasingly individual Known? Specified?
Approaches and classification to the study of audience Approaches Classification ass ◆ Place ° Group ° People Market ype of medium or ◆ public channel ◆ Content Ime
Approaches and classification to the study of audience Approaches Mass Group Market public Classification Place People Type of medium or channel Content Time
Passive models of audience People/audience are assumed to be part of mass socle People are transformed by technological/industrial changes Functionalist/transmission models of the audience: mass comm lecture 6.ppt#2. Linear model of communication process: Lasswell mass comm lecture 6.ppt#3. Linear model of communication process: Shannon and Weaver ◆ These are so- called"magic bullet”or hypodermic” theories Stimulus/response. action/reaction. cause/effect
Passive models of audience People/audience are assumed to be part of mass society People are transformed by technological/industrial changes Functionalist/transmission models of the audience: mass comm lecture 6.ppt#2. Linear model of communication process: Lasswell mass comm lecture 6.ppt#3. Linear model of communication process: Shannon and Weaver These are so-called “magic bullet” or “hypodermic” theories Stimulus/response, action/reaction, cause/effect
Passive audience ◆ Receivers ◆ consumers Markets ◆ targets
Passive audience Receivers consumers Markets targets
Active models People /audience are assumed to be individuals in social contexts within an overall society People transform and interpret media messages not a simple transmission of data: the impact cannot be deduced simply by knowing what the message was
Active models People /audience are assumed to be individuals in social contexts within an overall society. People transform and interpret media messages : not a simple transmission of data : the impact cannot be deduced simply by knowing what the message was
Active audience ◆ Individuals ◆ Social units ◆ decoders o The Uses and gratifications approach Spectators?
Active audience Individuals Social units decoders The Uses and gratifications approach Spectators?
Reception studies/ cultural analysis Finding out what people do with the media messages they encounter (either actively or passively )-linked to literary -critical studies Media use reflects socio-cultural context and gives meaning to cultural expressions and experiences 4 Methods: interviews /surveys
Reception studies/cultural analysis Finding out what people do with the media messages they encounter (either actively or passively) –linked to literary –critical studies. Media use reflects socio-cultural context and gives meaning to cultural expressions and experiences Methods: interviews /surveys
Reception studies/cultural analysis(Cont) Media text has to be read-audience perceptions construct the meaning and experience of media output o Media use is Situation-specific and involves Interpretative communities o Audience are never passive, nor are all members equal, Since some will be more experienced or more active than others
Reception studies/cultural analysis (Cont.) Media text has to be read—audience perceptions construct the meaning and experience of media output Media use is situation-specific and involves ‘interpretative communities’ Audience are never passive, nor are all members equal, since some will be more experienced or more active than others