Audience Theory

In order to increase my knowledge and understanding of audience theory, I researched the following models:

Hypodermic Needle Model
This model basically suggests that a message from a media source is directly recieved and completely accepted by the reciever. Although it is considered to be rare nowadays, it was prominent during the 1930's. It is rare due to the fact that it was disproved by Paul Lazarsfeld. By researching this theory I have gained an understanding of the way messages were once portrayed and the attitudes of people during the mid 1900's.

Uses and Gratification Model
This model is used to understand why people actively seek out specific media outlets for contents and gratification purposes. It discusses how users proactively search for media that will not only meet a given need but enhance knowledge, social interactions and diversion.It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. The approach suggests that people use the media to fulfill specific gratifications. This theory would then imply that the media compete against other information sources for viewers' gratification.