Audience effects theory

1) Write a definition of a passive audience:

A passive audience is an audience that merely observes and event rather than actively responding to it. There have been a few studies done on what is called the 'audience effect'. Those studies seem to show that a passive audience works well for some performers that don't require a whole lot of skill.

2) Write a definition of an active audience: 

An active audience engages, interprets and responds to a media text in different ways and is capable of challenging the ideas encoded in it. A passive audience is more likely to accept the messages encoded in a media text without challenge and are therefore more likely to be directly affected by the messages.

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory:

The Hypodermic needle theory is a linear communication theory that suggests that media messages are injected directly into the brains of passive audiences. In this theory, the media is seen as powerful and able to 'inject' ideas into an audience who are seen as weak and passive and could be influenced by a message.

4) Write down a media product for each category of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification:

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE:

learning about something  that you haven't learnt or did not already know  like  maps weather or traffic (e.g Newspaper.)

IDENTITY: personally relating to something - seeing your lifestyle on tv like (sir David attenborough or vin diesel)

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: going to a different world or reality by watching a film or tv shows (eg: baby or breaking bad)

RELATIONSHIPS: We interact with the actors and care about them by forming relationships. As they are long-lasting these bonds make the audience feel sympathy for the actors of happy depending on what is happening like when paul walker died on 30 November 2013 some people felt sorry for him 

5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analysing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above). 

The audience pleasure of Blue Planet 2 INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE as the audience is learning something about the sea and the wonder of the ocean. another audience pleasure is "audience" as the programs put people into a different dimension as it makes the oceans. lastly, the final pleasure is relation because people in the UK can relate to sir David attenborough as the things he produces is out of this world in my opinion.