Task 2

Theories:

Passive or active consumption:

A passive consumption is a media text that is not actively engaged by an audience. What this means is that a passive audience will not question the information that they have been given by the media and simply accepts the message in the way that the media intended to give it. Theories such as the hypodermic assume audiences are passive.

On the other hand, an active audience is the opposite to a passive audience and will engage with a text that they have received. They will question what they see and develop their own opinion about it rather than just simply accepting every media message. Theories such as uses and gratidfications assume that audiences are active.

Hypodermic needle model:

The hypodermic theory or bullet theory was developed in the 1930s by researchers interested in explaining the effects of mass media consumption and propaganda in World War One. The Nazi Parties believed the media was highly influential, and so as one of their most effective methods of gaining support, seemingly converted a whole population to supporting Hitler’s rule through the use of radio broadcasts. The theory claims that audiences are passive and homogeneous – that is each consumer wholly accepts the messages given by the media in their intended form; each message presented by the media is blindly accepted regardless of individual differences. It is a closed text communication theory

Uses and gratifications theory:

The uses and gradification theory deals with the effect of people on the media. The theory describes mass communication, as it provides an approach that is centred around the audience. It deals with how and why people adopt specific media to satisfy their needs. Some theorists choose and use certain media forms. The theory emphasizes that the media have a limit on te effect of their audience because audiences are able to take control over the media. Far from being duped by the media, the audience is free to reject, use or play with the media meanings. Audience therefore use media text to gratify needs for diversion, escaping, information, pleasure and comparing relationships and lifestyles with each other. The audience is in control and consumption of the media helps with issues such as learning, emotional satisfaction, relaxation and help with personal identity. The theory does suggest the consumption of violent images can be helpful rather than harmful. The theory suggests that audiences act out their violent impulses through the consumption of media violence. The audience’s inclination towards violence is therefore sublimated and are then less liely to commit violent acts.  

Reception study including responses:

Given that the uses and gratifications have their problems and limitations a different approach to audiences was developed by the academic Stuart Hall at Birmingham university in the 1920s. This considered how texts were encoded with meaning by producers and then understood by audiences. The theory suggest that when a producer constructs a text it is encoded with a meaning or message that the prdocuer wishes to convey to the audience. In some instances, the audience will be able to decode the message or meaningand understand what the producer was trying to say. In some instances the audiences will reject or not understand the message. Stuart Hall indentified three types of audiences.

Dominant: where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to and broadly agrees with it. For example you could be watching a political speech and agreeing with it.

Negotiated: where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in light of previously held views. For example neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the political speech or just not being interested.

Oppositional: where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural and political reasons. For example the total rejection of the political speech and active opposition.

Bowling for columbine

The bank scene:

Pros – it is very easy to get a gun in America. You can always feel secure in your home because banks let you have weapons to defend yourself. It is a good advertisement for opening up an account with that bank. The bank make sure that you are clear to have a gun so that they are not just handing them out to anyone.

Cons – seems very obscure to be handing out a free gun to everyone who opens that particular account. It makes you think that it must be very dangerous living in the U.S if you are being offered free guns, makes you think why you need the gun?