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The Media Studies ConferenceWednesday 4 th July - Friday 6th July 2007

BFISouthbank,London

How to· teach Audience

VICTORIA ALLEN

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The concept of audience???

'Audience' is a key concept in Media Studies and this discussion is tailored towards helpingyou to help students fully grasp the fundamentals so that it can be easily linked to other keyconcepts and regularly applied to specific case studies. To do this we are going to investigatethe following three areas:

1. Media Products and their target consumers- what a target audience is- what products are consumed and in what type of situations are they received- how producers profile their target audience

how producers of media texts research and measure audiencesaudience 'needs'

In this section we will talk about how to help students understand 'the target/intended'audience through a text's 'mode of address. We will also look at how audiences careclassifiedlcategorised by the producers of texts by market research profiling and 'qualitativeand quantitative methods' of research.

2. Theories on audienceswhat the theorists have told us about the effects ofmedia texts on audiences anduses ofmedia texts by audienceswhat the theorists tell us/have researched to inform us about reception analysis ­how individuals in an audience might really use and interact with media texts

In this section we will discuss how to help students understand 'primary, secondary andtertiary media', 'hypodermic needle theory', 'uses and gratifications', 'moral panic', 'situatedculture'.

3. Technology and the new audiencehow new technology has had an impact on how products/servicesltexts are deliveredto audiences by institutionshow new technology has created the audience as producer and implications of thisfor traditional producers.

In this section we will simply discuss the how students are using new technologies -how theirportability along with digitalisation ofold media forms and disintermediation has changed theway audiences receive and interact with the media with introduction to 'globalisation',1echnological determinism". Plus a discussion ofMedia Studies 2.0 and investigating thechanging nature of the 'media text and audience..

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Why are audiences important???

There are several reasons why audiences are important!Without an audience there wouldn't be any media texts!Measuring 'the audience' (size/reaction) is seen as a way of measuring the successof a media product. This is the same for advertisers who advertise onlbetween mediatexts - f:ias::th~lh~dv~rt been seen?Audiences are the people who provide income for the media instnutions that producemedia texts - we need to understand why audiences buy what they do!Producers appeal to and target their consumers - many people consider it importantto look at how audiences are categorised and how they are targeted so we can lookat who consumes which media texts.Many people also want to know how we consume the media as it is so central to ourlives.Many people want to understand and investigate the increased proliferation of mediacommunications via new technologies in terms of the effects on/for those whoconsume and interact with them.

Target Audiences: defining an audience

Students need to understand from the offset that all media products have atarget orintended audience as all audiences are different. This means that every media producerhas a profile of the group of people/individuals that they will aim their product/service/textat. Every media te~t that they will interact with, analyse andproduce will have anintended audience and students need to be able to give a profile of that audienceand in what situations they might receive and interact with aparticular text.

This intended group can be either defined as amass audience (a very large group ofpeople) or defined as a niche audience (a more specific and smaller group of people).When this is the case we call this narrowcasting, the opposite of broadcasting. Veryoften students do not see themselves as part of a large, homogenised audienceand it is therefore important early on to identify which types ofproducts they useand why they think they use themlwhy they appeal to them as this helps themunderstand the concept of targeting.

It is easy to look at the initial variables for targeting products to audiences: gender, age,ethnicity, class, occupation, interests.

TASK

To do this we can take a look at the media sectors and the products/services outthere, initially define the target/intended audience and how they might use theproduct/service, and tell students to give the reasons why they think this is. By using

_ the table, this allows them to use their own knowledge about media industries andgives us an idea about what they already know about products!

After the table is complete, pick three and write a justification using media language(visuaVauraVwritten) based on your knowledge of the example.

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The concept of audience???

'Audience' is a key concept in Media Studies and this discussion is tailored towards helpingyou to help students fully grasp the fundamentals so that it can be easily linked to other keyconcepts and regularly applied to specific case studies. To do this we are going to investigatethe following three areas:

1. Media Products and their target consumers- what a target audience is- what products are consumed and in what type of situations are they received- how producers profile their target audience

how producers of media texts research and measure audiencesaudience 'needs'

In this section we will talk about how to help students understand 'the target/intended'audience through a text's 'mode of address. We will also look at how audiences careclassified!categorised by the producers of texts by market research profiling and 'qualitativeand quantitative methods' of research.

2. Theories on audienceswhat the theorists have told us about the effects of media texts on audiences anduses of media texts by audienceswhat the theorists tell us/have researched to inform us about reception analysis ­how individuals in an audience might really use and interact with media texts

In this section we will discuss how to help students understand 'primary, secondary andtertiary media', 'hypodermic needle theory', 'uses and gratifications', 'moral panic', 'situatedculture'.

3. Technology and the new audiencehow new technology has had an impact on how productslservicesltexts are deliveredto audiences by institutionshow new technology has created the audience as producer and implications of thisfor traditional producers.

In this section we will simply discuss the how students are using new technologies - how theirportability along with digitalisation ofold media forms and disintermediation has changed theway audiences receive and interact with the media with introduction to 'globalisation','technological determinism". Plus a discussion ofMedia Studies 2.0 and investigating thechanging nature of the 'media text and audience..

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- ,;Media Sector Example of Mass or niche Gender of audience Age of audience Interests of audience How might they use this

text/service audience product? Where mightthey receive it?

Broadcasting(TV)

Film

Radio

Internet (www)

Music

Computing

Books

Newspapers

Magazines

Advertising

TASK

Then do the same for yourself. Pick a text/service you interact with and break downwhy you think it appeals to you, what features about it you identify with and then whoyou think the producer's actual target audience is. The students who do this aresurprised they have been pigeon-holed so rigidly - many of them have never thoughtabout why they like a product, or that they have been specifically hailed by anarrator's use of '/' or broadcaster's 'you'. Are the audience given 'privileged'information? (interpellation - A/thusser) or represented by a media producer.

Text Why What do I Target How is the Justification?does it use it for? audience? audienceappeal to represented?me?

This type of early task on audience links with other key concepts of Media Language andRepresentation and it becomes easier for them to start to analyse specific texts in relation totheir target audience.

TASK

The next simple step would be to give a task of textual analysis using semioticreadings of mise en scene in relation to how they feel it targets and is 'hailing' itsaudience to introduce the term mode of address. We can look at MORE - but anyteen magazine is agood place to start and links to AS Foundation Production.

Who is the target audience of MORE magazine and what is the mode of address?

By images?

Colour?

Use of Text and Language?

Position of images and text?

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Audience Research: market research classifications

Audiences in many cases are essentially products for the producers given the fact that bringaudiences to advertisers (Jean-Luc Godard - 'television doesn't make programmes, it createsaudiences). It is key for students to understand that all audiences are categorised byproducers to provide advertisers with aprofile about spending habits, cultural background,beliefs etc in a number of ways:

1. Audience demographics based on the National Readership Survey's socio-economicgrades www.nrs.co.uk

One of the most common/traditional methods, this divides the adult population of Britain into 6grades and identifies types of occupation and the percentage of the population that fit into thatgrade.

A Higher managerial, administrative or professional- MDs, doctors, solicitorsB Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional- bank managers, teachersC1 Supervisory or clerical, junior managerial, administrative or professional- 'white collar'office and bank staffC2 Skilled manual workers - plumbers, buildersD Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workersE Casual labourers, unemployed, on state benefits

Age is also categorised into the following by the National Readership Survey:

<1515-2424-3535-5555>

However there are a few problems with this - doesn't really inform on how much moneypeople make or how much people spend! Skilled labourers (C2) most certainly eam morethan many teachers (B) these days. There is also the issue that it's only relevant to the maineamer in the household. Think about our MORE magazine example, B-C2 16-19 year oldsdoesn't make sense!

2. Psychographies

Students needs to understand how producers of some texts profile their target audiencebased on their behaviour and personality traits. Psychographies therefore label aparticulartype of person and make an assessment about their viewing /listening / reading / spendinghabits.

Advertising agency Young and Rubicam www.4cs.vr.cominvented one of the best knownpsychographic profiles - their 4C's Marketing Model (see handout), standing for:

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Aspirer seeks STATUS

Attractive pack more important than contents.

Materialistic, acquisitive, oriented to image,appearance, persona and fashion.

Typically younger; clerical/sales type occupation

Enquiring: supports growth of new categories;selects products for intrinsic quality.

Typically a product of Higher Education

Reformer seeks ENLIGHTENfv1ENTFreedom from restrictions and personal growth.Social awareness and independent judgement.Anti-materialistic but aware of 'good taste'.

Explorer seeks DISCOVERYEnergy, individualism and experience.Values difference and adventure

Brand choice highlights indulgence andinstant effect. The first to try new brands. ~

Typically younger demographic - student

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Struggler seeks ESCAPEAlienated and disorganised. Few resources beyond physicalskills. Brand choice involves impact and sensation; alcohol,junk food, lottery tickets. Typically DIE demographic

Favours big and well-known 'family' brands(good 'value for money').

Average demographics (age, income etc.)Almost always the largest 'mass' group.

Domestic, conformist, conventional, sentimental

Mainstream seeks SECURITY

Resigned seeks SURVIVALRigid and authoritarian values.Oriented to the past and tradition.

Typically older demographic

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Brand choice based on self-reward, prestige < ~;<t:~ ,i\,~~>; ',,:';(the 'best') but attracted to 'caring' products. ",jL~;~:'J;~',h"':

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Succeeder seeks CONTROLStrong goals, confidence, work ethic, andorganisation. Supports status quo, stability.

Young & Rubican's 4Cs Marketing Model

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Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation

• Mainstreamers• Aspirers• Succeeders• Resigned· Explorers• Strugglers· Reformers

TASK

- To help students understand how producers categorise the audiences of their products inthis way it is good to offer tasks such as:

MedialProduct Psychographic Profile JustificationiPod

Bliss Magazine

The Daily Mail

www.myspace.com

Again very often students haven't thought about themselves as being categorised byproducers so it is a good way to introduce them to the concept!

It is also extremely useful for them to think about when they are attempting to define andresearch the target audience of their own pieces ofproduction work.

Young and Rubicam's approach is similar to the way that market research audience profileshave been constructed based on Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles.

Fulfilleds

Actualisers

Experiencers'

Achievers

Strivers

Believers

3. Hierarchy of Needs

SocialN..ctsSen.. or belonging

Low

S"ety Needssecurity

Protection

Physiological NeedsHungerThirst

These profiles are essentially all based on US psychologist Abraham Maslow and the hishierarchy of needs - we all have different layers of needs and that we needs to achieve onebefore we move onto the next. The social and esteem levels in particular are to do withgaining the respect of others - this ca be linked to the idea that products and goods fulfil self­esteem.

TASK

Agood task to give the students is to give them the pyramid and get them to writedown the goods/services that would be necessary at each level and then whichmedia texts/where these might be advertised - try and get them to name specifictexts.

Media products are therefore hail their target audience through a particular mode of address,this is in line with the profile that has been constructed about this audience. The profile will bepitched to advertisers who will then advertise their goods in/on/between the media product tomeet their perceived needs.

Students who understand this will succeed in profiling and reading target audiences and howa media text has tried to meet the needs through their mode of address. They will also, ofcourse, succeed in creating exceptional products during production through theirunderstanding of target audiences. .

Audience Research: Research methods

Students will require skills of audience research and research methods in general throughouttheir Media course, and using audience to define terminology is agood way in. The researchfalls into two categories primary and secondary.

Primary research involves adirect investigation of the topic and the text. It will involves firsthand interviews with producers, textual (content) analysis of the magazine, film, or tvprogramme and of, course, interviews with or data collection about the audiences of aparticular media.

~uch audience research can be quantitative or qualitative.

Quantitative research is primarily concerned with data and involves the collecting figures toascertain how many people consume a particular text, for how long and what share of totalmarket this is. Television companies use BARB www.barb.org.uk (Broadcaster's AudienceResearch Board) (see viewing figures) and radio stations used RAJAR www.rajar.org.uk(Radio Joint Audience Research).

Qualitative research is primarily concemed with investigating the reasons why audiencesconsume certain media and can be used to ascertain what they gain from the text. Qualitativeresearch also investigates through discussion, interviews, focus groups or questionnaires thepreferences of a producer's intended audience. The aim of this can be to measure thesuccess of a product in terms of audience opinion.

Secondary research involves an investigation and analysis of research already undertaken ­hence the phrase second hand. Studies can be found in academic books, journals andinternet and allows for a wide range of viewpoints to be considered about a particular topic ofstudy. Many 'audience effects' and 'audience uses' studies have been undertaken and a widerange of sources needs to be consulted if critical analysis is to be achieved.

TASK

Students find it difficult to think about audience research in terms of data analysis andthe assumptions that can be made from this about their engagement and use of texts.Use the BBC 1, BBC 3, lTV and ITV2 viewing figures for 22/10/06 and answer thefollowing questions:

• Which of the two main UK broadcasters had the largest share of the market at 7 0

clock prime time?

• What does this suggest about the type of programmes audiences want to watch?

• What type of audience are these broadcasters trying to target?

• What was the top programme on BBC3 and ITV2?

• What does this say about how audiences are using digital television?

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Individuals 4+ (Including Timeshift) - w/e 22/10/2006Millions

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Individuals 4+ Viewing (Including Timeshift) - w/e 22/10/2006

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Situated Culture

The term situated culture simply refers to the way in which our daily routines, interactions,relationships, our situation, can affect the ways in which we engage and read the variousmedia texts that we come into contact with.

Jeremy Tunstall (1983) said the way audiences can consume media texts can be on threelevels:

Primary: where we pay close attention to a media textSecondary: where we are aware of media in the background but are not particularlyconcentrating on it - music on radio, flicking through a magazine.Tertiary: when media is there but we are not aware of it - billboards that are passed and wedon't take notice of them.

TASK

To help students understand this concept ask them what media they think they mightconsume on aday to day basis and get them to categorise it into the 3 levels:

Primary Secondary Tertiary

It is good to do this with students as it allows them to think how they interact with all themedia that is around them and therefore provides a good introduction to a discussion ofaudience theories.

Influences on audiences

There has been long debate about the effects that media texts have on their audiences, - inthe context of research there has been a shift from the view that audiences are passivemasses (inactive and accept and believe all messages in media texts) to one that sees theaudience as active individuals (interacts with the communication process and use mediatexts for own purposes).

1. Effects Models

Early C20th concems that mass media aimed at a mass audience would be'influenced bythe same 'mass' message. This idea suggests that mass media has power as seemed 'apparent in Nazi Germany who used media - films such as Triumph of the WiII- as

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propaganda tools to 'inject' ideas making them dominant amongst the German public. In 1957Vance Packard proposed that advertisers manipulated audience in such a way.

This type of effects theory is known as the Hypodermic model- media 'inject' ideas into apassive audience. Suggests that there is a single meaning in a text and audience acceptmessages.

Although audiences are seen as less passive readers than during the 1950's, the hypodermictheory is still used by those in authority to generate moral panics - including effects of thecontent of teen magazines on teenage girls, violent video gameslfilms and their contribution toviolent behaviour etc where the media is 'blamed' for wrongs in society.

Cultivation theory is amore refined version of this - where repeated exposure of the samemessages/ideologies will eventually have an effect on the audience's attitudes / values. Thistype of effect is cited when critics say that the audience has become desensitised, making theaudience less sensitive to, for example, violent crimes in filmslTV.

Two Step flow theory is another model- although a more active audience is assumed,meanings are derived from discussions with other audience members (family, friends). Veryoften if a text if discussed with what members may see as an opinion leader (celebrityendorsement, filmlTV critic, sports pundits) then they may be passive enough to believe suchinterpretations of the text.

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To help students understand effects theories in a more simple way (a to make achange fromviolence) we can ask them to take a look at the way in which lifestyle magazines may havehad an affect on the way they think about gender roles and how particular products andlifestyles have become 'gendered' through magazines, particularly those within the last twodecades.

There have been ahost of theorists which have discussed the effects that magazines have onwomen and girls and their representations (Frieden, McRobbie, Greer) (and also, of course,those that discuss the uses and choices magazines give women (Winship, Hermes)), andmore recently those that also discuss masculinity (Gauntlett).

TASK

Firstly, get students to write down what they consider to be typically feminine and masculineroles.

Women's Roles/Products/Interests Masculine Roles/Products/Interests

Secondly, before showing any magazines, get them to list some women's magazines andmen's magazine.

Thirdly, ask students to work in groups and undertake adiscussion about Glamour Magazineand GQ Magazine and answer the following questions.

- What is the main textual meaning about the products women and women buyand their interests?Do the text reinforce aspirational and consumerist lifestyles?Is the magazine using celebrities to endorse these products as opinion leaders?Do you think this might influence the audience in any why?Does the magazine promote social networking and suggest asense of commoncommunity amongst the target audience? Why?Do the magazines empower women or men? Why do you think this is?Over a period of two years does it look like these magazines have changed the'lifestyles' of women and men?Does this suggest that we are being conditioned over a period of time?

Such introductory tasks will introduce students to audience effects theories. Work can be builtupon for specific units throughout AS and A2 syllabuses.

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It would be then useful if students were given information on the 'moral panic' that has arisenon the content of teen magazines and discuss whether such concerns are justified. Adiscussion of the ideology of the media institution would then be appropriate.

Daily Mail 12/04/07

Vital advice for girls ••• or simply smut?Last updated at 08:36am on 12th April 2007Explicit teen magazines have been praised by school inspectors for offering 'verypositive' advice on sex. Ofsted regards them as valuable reading material, despite theiroften lurid and sometimes sexist content. In a report published yesterday, inspectorsalso blamed parents for children's increasing reliance on such magazines for the factsoflife. The report on the teaching of Personal, Social and Health Education, did notname any specific magazines.More....

• Parents protest over pre-teens shOl-v that brings controversial Bratz dolls tolife

• More schools offer morning-after pill• Magazines. not parents. teach facts oOife

But it clearly related to girls' titles such as More, Cosmogirl! and Sugar, which have. been criticisedfor publishingfeatures such as 'position ofthe fortnight'.

Ofsted said that even though teen publications have become increasingly explicit,their problem pages 'remain a very positive source ofadvice and reassurance for

many young people'. We examinefive ofthe big sellers.

Five ofthe best? We put teenmagazines under the spotlight

SUGAR

Boasting it is the 'biggest and best'of the teenage magazines, this isfilled with topless pictures of malepopstars. It even offers a websitelink to let readers watch one strip off.With articles such as 'The singlegirl's guide to partying'. it is hardlyintellectual stuff. It tends to focusmore on grown-up sexual issuesthan its rivals, which may bedisheartening news to parents.TARGET AGE: 13-19

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CIRCULATION: 200,541

MOST DUBIOUS CONTENT:

An anonymous girl tells of an horrific experience at 16, when she slept with a boy shehad met online. One evening, the boy turned up with a friend and drove them all outinto the woods. Not wanting to seem 'uncooI', the girl let both boys kiss her. They allended up having sex. A few days later she received an email with a video of theirsordid encounter. It had been posted on the Internet.

TYPICAL COVER LINE: 'Get Kissing Confident - What every girl needs to knowabout snogging'

TYPICAL PROBLEM PAGE LETTER:

'I slept with a boy because he said he loved me, but the next day he didn't wantanything to do with me.'

BLISS

Bliss covers issues such as friendship, fashion, true life and sex. Though it's full ofbrash images of celebrities out 'boozing', it claims it gives girls 'safe' lifestyle advice,such as keeping fit without starving themselves. TARGET AGE: 14-18CIRCULATION: 151,729

MOST DUBIOUS CONTENT:

1) On a 'true life' confession page, a 15-year-old girl tells ofa one-night stand with ayoung man in a bathroom at a house party.

She had lots of alcohol to 'boost my confidence' and had very brief, unprotected sex.A few weeks later she discovered she had caught a sexually transmitted infection.

2) A picture of girlband star Sarah Harding drinking whisky straight from the bottleand Madonna feeding Penelope Cruz a cocktail, accompanied by a jokey caption: 'Sothis is how blondes have more fun - by chucking drinks down their mates' necks! Wereckon Madge and Sarah are very bad influences. Hie!'

TYPICAL COVER LINE: '129 Hot Body Secrets'

TYPICAL PROBLEM PAGE LETTER: 'My boyfriend of the past year has asked meif I'm up for threesome sex with him and his mate.

I'm not sure I want to, but I love him and don't want to get dumped. Should I do it toplease him?'

COSMOgirl!

This magazine claims to target intelligent young girls who are keen to succeed atschool and in their relationships with friends, family and boys.

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Shame about the superficial articles such as 'Cosmo's 101 most wanted men' - whichspans three pages of pictures - as well as endless pages of fashion. TARGET AGE:12-17 CIRCULATION: 131,956 MOST DUBIOUS CONTENT: Diagram of how toput on a condom on the 'Sex Sussed' page.

TYPICAL COVER LINE: 'Make Him Fancy You', 'How normal are your boobs?'

TYPICAL PROBLEM PAGE LETTER: 'Can laxatives and vomiting help me slim?'

TEEN NOW

Teen now is a bi-annual publication, an off- shoot of the weekly celebrity magazineNow.

It targets younger teenage girls concerned with fashion, celebrity and boys. Morelight-hearted than its rivals, it is peppered with ·young television stars and focuses oncelebrity interviews as well as real-life teenage problems. TARGET AGE: 13-17MOST DUBIOUS CONTENT:

1) Pop group the Sugababes are asked in an interview to say when they have beendrunk.

They explain they got 'completely smashed' at an awards ceremony and how one ofthem fell over, knocked herself out and vomited over herself.

2) Kara Tointon, EastEnders actress talking about how she likes to wear G-stringsbecause they're skimpy and sexy.

TYPICAL COVER LINE: 'Total Boy-Fest', 'Sacked for being too fit' TYPICALPROBLEM PAGE LETTER: 'I really fancy my sister's new boyfriend. They've beengoing out for three months and I've liked him since the moment she first introducedme to him. Should I make a move on him?'

MORE

More magazine is an unashamedly sexual read. Almost every story has a sexual angle.Often the real-life accounts focus on fetishes or sexual boundaries being broken.

An uncomfortably explicit publication, its pages are littered with diagramsandraunchy photographs to explain numerous sexual positions and techniques. Thecurrent issue features a report on a girl who lost six stone (and then her virginity) andanother who loves having sex with her 7ft tall boyfriend. TARGET AGE: 21 ­however, it used to be a teen title and is still thought to be widely read by teenagegirls. CIRCULATION: 271,629 MOST DUBIOUS CONTENT:

A sexual diagram entitled' Position of the fortnight', in which readers are given stepby step instructions to a sexual position. TYPICAL COVER LINE: '100 Greatest SexTricks', 'I have sex with a giant' TYPICAL PROBLEM PAGE LETTER: 'I'm straightbut turned on by girlon-girl porn. Is this normal? I'm really happy with my man butI'm worried it means I'm bisexual.'

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2. Uses and Gratifications Theory

From the 1960's onwards, research was undertaken that suggested audiences used themedia for reinforcement. This led to the idea that the audience was active and rather thanbeing one mass group, audiences were acomplex mixture of group open to messages inmedia texts that they selected to best suit their needs- again this has roots in Maslow'shierarchy of needs theory.

This type of active selection of messages by audiences is known as the Uses andGratifications model - suggesting that media audiences make active use of the media whichwill meet their individual needs. It is in direct opposition to effects theories.

Blumler and Katz (1975) identified four main uses:

surveillance or 'need' for information about world events (news, drama).personal relationships or 'need' for social interaction (characters in sitcom, soaps)personal identity or 'need' to define sense of self and inform own behaviours(celebrities)diversion or 'need' for escape and entertainment (game shows)

Criticisms of this is that we don't have control over what media is shown, so we can onlyselect from what is delivered to us by producers. We may not want to be exposed to asexistor patriarchal advert but we cannot control what adverts are shown in betwe~n programmes,the best we can do is channel hop and hope to find something that better suits our needs butwhat is on offer may not actually achieve this.

'Real people' are now the focus of many modem television programmes - Changing Rooms,Cash in the Attic, Airport, Make me a Model, XFactor, The Apprentice, Big Brother. Goingback just adecade (apart from You've Been Framed and quiz shows such as Who Wants toBe a Millionaire and Blind Date) the public very rarely appeared on screen, with shows usingexperts and presenters to communicate to the audience. Now 'ordinary people' are becomingthe 'stars of the show' and 'stars' after the show - which is now the motivation behindparticipation in many such programmes.

Although the rise of fake-celebrity culture is fascinating perhaps more so is the way that theuse of real people help audiences identify with texts and therefore further their engagementwith them.

To help students understand the uses and gratifications theories we can take a look at howBig Brother (now in it's 8th series and still extremely popular) might fulfil the needs of its targetaudience through its fly on the wall 24 invasion on real life subjects.

Channel 4 relies on Big Brother for 25% of its annual advertising and much of this advertisingis targeted towards afemale audience (city cars, wine, make up and other beauty products).

Although, using our knowledge about audience demographics from earlier, we might think thatthe target audience for such a reality TV show would be from a C2, Dl Edemographic andmale (given the number of scantily clad girls on every year) the truth is very different.

The main audience watching Big Brother at present is ABC1 females aged 16-34 and thisyear's launch show received over 8 million viewers. So what is the appeal, how does it fulfilthe needs of it's target audience and how have the advertisers used this to their advantage?

TASK

Watch an 8 minute clip from Big Brother and the advertisements and then fill in the tablebelow based on Blumler and Katz reasons for consumption.

Surveillance Personal Personal Identity DiversionRelationships

3. Reception Analysis

Uses and gratifications theory is sometimes criticised for being too simplistic in terms ofdescribing the wayan individual audience member interacts with a media text.Reception analysis is concerned with an investigation of how audiences might receive textstaking in to account situated culture - how an audience's social and daily routines caninfluence readings and engagement with different media texts. Many studies have beencompleted to investigate the audience's interaction with aspecific media text - most famous ­David Morley and Charlotte Brunsdon (1980) investigated the BBC's Nationwide audienceand the factors that variables such as gender and ethnicity had on their reading andunderstanding of it. Dorothy Hobson (1982) investigated the audience old C4 soap'Crossroads', Janice Radway (1984) investigate women's use of romance novels etc.

Audience Readings

There are four ways in which theorists have suggested a media text might be 'read' by theaudience:Preferred/Dominant Reading - where the target audience receives the text they understandand accept and share the messages/dominant values that were encoded by its producer(hegemonic reading).

Negotiated Reading - where audience members receive the text and understands themessages/dominant values of the producers but will modify meaning / argue against certainmessages (such as representations of groups etc) to suit their own values and position.

Oppositional Reading - where audience members not part of the target audience reject thepreferred reading/dominant values of the producers and receive/construct an alternativemeaning (counter hegemonic).

Aberrant Reading - where audience members read the text in an entirely different way to theproducers intended. It could be the case when social values/cultural background are verydifferent to that of the producer. An example would be if David Brent's actions from The Officewere admired by some members of the audience instead of being seen as embarrassing.

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Although this is a simplistic task it is one that students find easy to begin with to investigateMorley's audience readings above. It also links to foundation production on the OCR syllabus.

Over recent years the children's charity Bamardo's has produced shock advertisingcampaigns Stolen Childhood (2002), Silver Spoon (2003) and New Life (2005).

Using material from the Bamardo's website, the charity recognises 'that advertising that isn'tnoticed does not work' and has therefore made their recent campaigns extremely visual inorder to get the attention of the reader. Bamardo's advertise by predominately print mediachannels as opposed to other children's charities such as the NSPCC who have also hadsuccessful television advertising to support print over a range of campaigns.

Bamardo's target audience is of ABC1 demographic, aged 30-55 male and female and veryprobably parents. They are opinion formers, 'movers and shakers' of society. As this is aneducated audience the print campaigns are 'communicated through professional, political andsocial channels'. This would suggest that advertising is in ABC1 blue tops such as TheGuardian, The Independent and The Times.

Although this may have been easier with the Silver Spoon campaign, lets try it with the NewLife to get students to think about mode of address along with audience reading. In thetable below detail how you think the audience might understand the adverts if they adopted apreferred, negotiated, oppositional or aberrant reading. Try to comment make acomment onthe mode of address - personal pronouns? Expert voice? Semiotics?

Preferred Negotiated Oppositional An Aberrant Mode ofReading? Reading? Reading? Reading? Address

,. .'.-.~: .~ . .' -.

..

New Technologies

Audience interaction with texts has changed dramatically over the past 15 years owing toadvancements in new media technologies - convergence - digital television, computers,mobile phones, PDAs, are multimedia and interactive with internet access. All media isaccessed by a single device and owing to the portability of such devices it makes them evenmore attractive to audiences. This means that the students of Media Studies are engagingand interacting with more texts than ever before. They are also producing more media contentthen ever before.

It is therefore important that students understand the impact of the technologies theyuse everyday and how the media landscape is changing with reference to reach,ownership and production as a result.

TASK

1. To introduce this concept, ask students to think about the new technology they use andquickly to write down what they use it for.

New Technology What you use it for

2.Ask the students to pick a media text they access online by a computer, tv, phone (music,film, tv programme, magazine). Discuss with them why they access it online with thesequestions:- why do you access the text online?- what does the internet allow to 'to do' with the text?- do you think it allows you to engage with the text more than old media forms?- can you think of any disadvantages of this type of access?

Impact on old media?

Delivery of information is now very different - the idea that we can now access informationany time, anywhere means that we do not have to go visit traditional providers to satisfyneeds. There is the idea that because we can access so much information online we nolonger have to buy a newspaper to find out the day's news.

This is called disintermediation and basically means that the middle man is cut out of theequation (also think about the idea of booking holidays, banking, even shopping!) If mediainstitutions did not have the ability to become cross-media providers and find creative ways ofensuring its mode of address captures its target audience it could lead to a loss of audience.

, t-

Publications like The Sun appear to have survived this -look at their website - fullarticles are not available and there are bold statements to its target audience (to see thewhole of today's pg 3buy The Sun) to secure readership of the traditional media form.

TASK

Ask students all the ways that they get their information from - do they feel that they do notvisit old media forms/providers because of the internet?

The 1990 /1996 Broadcasting Acts detailed that audiencesshould have more choice and access to content via new mediatechnologies - which further saw the deregulation of thebroadcasting sector.BBC formed BBC Worldwide in 1994 - commercial arm thatenabled to practice media synergy (primarily distribution andmerchandising) to secure its future in the UK and beyond.

Since its re-Iaunch in 200, Dr Who has become one of theBBC's flagship, prime time programmes viewers topping 10million. Spin off Torchwood was extremely successful in Oct2006 capturing the largest digital audience for a non-sportsprogramme with nearly 3 million viewers.

Much of it's success is owed to new technology. Asacross-media company the BBC have securedtheir diversification by expansion into new mediatechnologies. By using their basis as agood qualitycontent provider to lure key partnerships in ­Flextech, Crowncastle, IBM, Siemens, Google,Discovery etc. Key ones being:

FREEVIEW (2002) joint venture with CrowncastleUK Ltd and BSkyB in which BBC have controlling interest - gave audience access tochannels BBC3, BBC4, BBC News 24, Cbeebies, CBBC etc

3/

To help students understand the concept ofglobalisation and cultural imperialism withoutsimply referring to McDonald's we need to look at case studies of the main service providersthat also produce much Westem, mainstream material.

News Corporation are a vertically integrated cross mediaconglomerate - Rupert Murdoch still has controlling share of theinstitution. They produce, market and broadcast their ownmaterial through their range of film, television, newspaper, newmedia insitutions that they own (inc. C20th Fox, Sky, Star, Foxtel,The Sun, MySpace).They have expanded into all areas of newmedia including digital satellite and cable distribution, intemet

distribution, intemet social networking - most recently they have entered into ajoint venturewith Universal to form as as yet unnamed film and tv distributioncollection of websites in an attempt to rival YouTube.

News Corp is in the top 5 largest global broadcast conglomeratesand therefore produces and distributes much of the media contentthat is seen on aglobal scale. As aservice provider it owns manyof the distribution systems that we (and the rest of the world)receive our television from. In particular News Corporation owns,BSkyB, Sky Europe, FoxTel, DirecTV, Star TV.

Using the listings below detail whether you feel News Corporation have changed their outputacross the globe to take into consideration of the audience's cultural.background.

Does this suggest that News Corporation has utilised new technologies for purely financialgain?

Might this have an impact on the social values and beliefs of the audiences in the countriesthat News Corporation now reach? .

MySpace - now has 100 million hits per month - why do you think News Corp took overMySpace in 2006.

15:30 GENERAL HOSPITAL 60

16:30 GHOST WmSPERER 60

17:30 MY WIFE AND KIDS 28

17:58 SPORTS UPDATE 2

18:00 THE SIMPSONS 30

18:30 FRIENDS 30

19:00 STARNEWS ASIA 30

19:30 SEINFELD 30

20:00 THAT '70S SHOW 30

20:30 STILL STANDING 25

20:55 STARNEWS UPDATE 5

21:00 GROUNDED FOR LIFE 30

21:30 FRASIER 25

21:55 SPORTS UPDATE 5

22:00 CRIMINAL "MINDS 55

22:55 SPORTS UPDATE 5

23:00 SEINFELD 30

23:30 THAT '70S SHOW 30

00:00 STILL STANDING 30

Sky.com - TV Guide>TV Listings

TV Guide. TV listings

Details of every programme time at your fingertips

Simply select a channel genre and date, then browse for a channel and click on a showtitle for more details.

Use TV Listings Search to find a specific programme. Enter the "programme title" inquote marks for a more exact search result. Spoilt for choice? Check out some showhighlights on our Channel HomeDlges...

Did yeu know yOll can set your Sky+ or Sky HD box to record from TV listings? All youneed to do is~ for Remote Record and then Simply select the programme you

want to record and click on 41 in the programme synopsIs.

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Login/Register

Remote Record Is HereYou can now set your Sky+ box to recordvia Sky.com.

~ Register for Remote Record

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... - 10 Channels

122 Bravo+1 Gamer TV

10:30 AM 11:00 AM

Knight Rider

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123 Bravo 2

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12.6 ParaComedy 1

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Cash Cab

Supermarket Sweep

Two And A Half Men

World's Most Amazing Videos

Bruce Forsyth's Play Your

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@ 2007 BSkyB Ltd All Rights Reserved

'.

Audience as Producers

As MySpace proves, audiences are interacting with new media technologies to the extent thatit becomes part of how they conduct their social interactions has begun a new wave oftheoretical perspectives on how audiences use/engage with media texts.

David Gauntlett www.theory.org (2007) in particular champions the validity of Media Studies2.0 which sees a recognition of students' knowledge of media texts via their distribution bynew media technologies - MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Blogger. ..

Although all reception theories have been discussed and all are still valid with reference tohow / why audiences use and receive media texts, recent research (Buckingham, Livingstone,Gauntlett) suggest that the media landscape is changing and it is now important to tutorstudents, as part of audience studies, about the new type of interaction audiences have withtexts - we need to make sure students understand the concept of reception alongside anunderstanding of new distribution and production of media texts by younger audiences wheremedia literacy is part of the curriculum from an early age.

TASK

Using earlier work, ask students what new Web 2.0 technologies they utilise and what theyuse them for.

Web 2.0 Use?

• Do they see themselves as media producers?

• Do they try and replicate styles?

• Why do they place their own work I comments on blog I forum sites? Why is itimportant to display work on these site?

Look at the comments from the BBC Sports Blog.

• Do they feel it changed the way they interact with traditional media like sport, music ­do they feel more involved now they can comment back?

- Do they feel their comments are as valid as those from media professionals?

• Has their view changed about the media and the 'elitism' that once existed?

~ 'Jr_

BBC Sports Blog/Forum

WilhelmssonTottenham Hotspur

by pigeonspurs 16 June 2007

(COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE)

what are your thoughts about us signing this guy. he is a class player but he is right footed and

playes right wing NOT left wing. do we need him.

comment on this article I alert a moderator I t:lsend to a friendLatest 10 comments

view all 61 commentsRead members' comments or add your owncomment by 87!,"ascot .

posted 15 Hours Ago

'If he can trap and hold the ball and track back then he could do some good. It beggars belief

Spurs will try 442 with a dreadful goal keeper, Dawson, 2 poor wide players like Lennon (like

Defoe a natural sub) and Malbranque. You need to be a lot better than them to justify a 442

with 2 central midfielders to cover for such players. You need better ftlll backs and keeper

also.... '

Robinson has his moments but you have to be a bit of a muppet to call him dodgy. You worry

about your team and hopefully see you down the sloany pony next season.

http://www.topfootballers.co.uk/

posted 14 Hours Ago

this discussion is realy borin

posted 13 Hours Ago

i agree this discusion is really boring.

http://www.topfootballers.co.uk/

ja~dd~~~o~m~m~.e~nitI complain about this comment~ t; - .

posted 12 Hours Ago

lennon is the most inconsistent player in the prem did have a bad season this year. . .

..

I

."4,

posted 12 Hours Ago

spurs dont need to sign players who are good on the ball, they have a full team of players like

that. they need players who know WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY HAVE NOT GOT THE BALL. the

number of times they have given away leads and conceded the amount of goals they have, its

obvious they need a good physically strong pair of centre midfielders cos they wont win anything

with jenas and zokora together in the centre of the park, thats y they lose alot away from home,

and lose at home to man u 4·0 and give away leads against chelsea reserves after being 3-1 up.

n end up drawing 3-3. they need players who can control the game that like doing the ugly

things like ESSIEN.

add comment I complain about this commentcomment by dan90m

posted 12 Hours Ago

kingofdalane we got wayne routledge aswell we dont need anymore backup?

add comment I complain about thlS comment

l'O""'- .......,j