Media AudienceIntroduction----------------------- It would be unusual for any of us living in contemporary Western society to spend an entire day without encountering any form of mass media. This is not surprising. The media is directed at us, we are their audience. · There seem to be 3 important questions: o Does the media influence our behavior or beliefs? o If they produce an effect, how can it be explained and measured? o To what extent do we ignore or subvert media messages? · In general there appear to be two main approaches to studying audiences. · One approach sees the public as a passive recipient of media messages: the media produce effects on the public. · The second approach considers the audience is much more actively involved in the interpretation of the media – the reception analysis model.· Or more simply:o What are the media doing with us? (The passive audience)o What do we do to the media? (The active audience) · This division reflects the more general argument within the social sciences regarding the extent to which our behaviors are determined by society as a whole, or the result of freely exercised choice. Passive audience models--------- -------------The hypodermic syringe/effects model· The first media effects model has two main characteristics:o The effect it is quite straightforward.o It is a simple stimulus-response model of human behavior. · According to the theory, the media is like a syringe that injects ideas, attitudes and beliefs into the public who, as a powerless mass, have no choice but to let themselves be influenced . drip effect” of constant exposure to certain messages, in others the public will accept the media rather uncritically and in other cases will resist the media texts. Clearly this suggests not only different types of media text, but also the idea of ​​different publics.Conclusion----- -----· We must be aware of the broad shift from a mass public perception to one that recognizes that, whatever the size of the public, it is made up of individuals.· Along with this changed view there is a shift in emphasis from what the media does to the public to the acceptance that audiences bring many different approaches to the media they interact with. “It's not just what the media does to us, but what we do to the media that matters.” Discuss this statement with reference to developments in audience studies.