Audience theory - Effects debate factsheet

1) Do you play violent video games and/or watch violent films? Are you violent in real life?

I have played and watched violent games and videos/movies which hasn't made me act out in a violent way in real life - I am able to determine the difference between fantasy and reality which determines my behaviour and the way I act.

Do you ever see a product advertised on TV or on the internet and decide you want to buy it?

Yes I have seen products advertised and been convinced to go on to purchasing them due to the persuasive advertisement.

Have you ever seen a documentary which has drawn your attention to an issue which you feel strongly about now?

Usually when I watch documentaries they are about something that interests me or something that I can relate to.

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?

- Direct effect theories 

- Diffusion theories

- Indirect effect theories

- The pluralist approach

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

The hypodermic needle theory is the belief that the media has a direct influence on the audience and it 'injects' its beliefs and values directly into the audience. 

• Child's play - The murder of Jamie Bulger
• Marilyn Manson - The columbine high school shootings 
• Natural Born Killers - A number of murders committed by romantically linked couples

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre?

The 1999 Columbine massacre was a shooting spree carried out by two teens in a school name Columbine High School in Colorado. This was the worst high school shooting in US history, killing 13 people and wounding more than 20 others. The two teens who committed this monstrous event went on to kill themselves after the shoot out. There was speculation that the two committed the killings because they had been bullied, were members of a group of social outcasts that was fascinated by Goth culture, or had been influenced by violent video games and music; however none of these theories was ever proven.

5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?

- Society accepted the use and ownership's of guns and how easy it was to access them.

- Some teenagers felt like they didn't fit in with the society and were left unstable.

- They lived in a place where unemployment was high and was economically disadvantaged.

- General desensitisation caused by access to a range of violent images: film, TV, news and internet. 

6) What does Gerbner's Cultivation theory suggest?

Gerbner's cultivation theory suggests that the media effects attitudes rather than behaviour. For example, the repetition of attitudes, ideas and values may become normalised to audiences the more that they consume - these attitudes and values portrayed through the media are accepted rather than considered. Often more vulnerable groups are a main consideration within this approach.

7) How does this front page of the Daily Mail (from this week - Wednesday 16 November) link to Cultivation theory? The Mail Online version of the story is here.


This front page links to cultivation theory as it uses the example of young children spending a large amount of time a day based around aspects of the media which is affecting their attitudes and perspective on life - having a long term effect on beliefs and ideals. 




8) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

The factsheet suggests that action films depict both good and bad violence. Good violence is shown through events that include protecting someone or stopping a criminal from committing a crime. Bad violence is shown through the threatening of a weaker person or threatening high powers such as the state or the government. The repetition of these events make it seem natural. 

9) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?

The criticism of The Direct Effects Theory is that it is largely discredited as it makes simplified judgements about the audience. It uses a Scapegoat.


10) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

The 1970s sitcom may be seen as controversial nowadays because it's seen as racist and offensive by modern viewers. Modern day society consists of different raceial backgrounds and religions so racism isn't as tolerated anymore. What was accepted at that time as 'comedy' is seen as racist and rude in our modern day society. Therefore Stuart Hall's Reception Theory links in as it proves that texts are polysemic and can have different readings to different audience members.

11) Which audience theory do you think is most convincing? Why? It is important that you develop critical autonomy in judging the arguments for and against different theories and form your own opinion on these issues.

I think that the 'Uses and gratifications theory' is the most convincing because it is based around the idea that audiences use the media for different reasons such as personal identity, personal relationships, surveillance and diversion. This suggests that audiences choose to consume certain media for their own reasons and choose to take from it what they want rather than the idea that the media controls it's audience. Especially in today's modern society, I think that most audiences have adapted to the media and do not follow everything that it says - we are able to make the difference between what is wrong and what is right (audiences are more educated now).