RESEARCH: AUDIENCE

MORAL PANICS

Moral Panics is the feeling that the situation is out of control in some way, and therefore represents a threat to the moral order. This can be related to the Media Effects Model in the sense that something should not be released for a reason, whether there is depravity in it, such as drug use, violence, torture, rape and murder. According to Stanley Cohen, the media play a massive role in enforcing moral panic – even if it just simply reporting the news.

MEDIA EFFECTS MODEL 

The Media Effect Model Some negative implications of this theory are when people do “copycat murders”. An example of the Media Effects Model, was in January 1998, 16-year-old Mario Padilla and his 14-year-old cousin, Samuel Ramirez stabbed Mario's mother, Gina Castillo, 45 times, killing her. The case became known as the "Scream murder" and fell under intense media scrutiny after the boys claimed they were inspired by Scream and Scream 2.

ADORNO THEORY

Adorno suggested that culture industries churn out a debased mass of unsophisticated, sentimental products which have replaced the more 'difficult' and critical art forms which might lead people to actually question social life. As well, he said that we are given false needs by the media, meaning that propaganda persuades us to consume the products and spend more money.

MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that people possess a set of motivation systems unrelated to rewards or unconscious desires.

USERS AND GRATIFICATIONS MODEL

During the 1960s, people who are grew up with television, became apparent on how they are effected and make choices on the certain texts they consume. These texts can be either escape from everyday problems and life and values presented through texts. In 1948 Lasswell, a media theorist, suggested that media texts had functions for individuals and society:

• surveillance
• correlation
• entertainment
• cultural transmission

RECEPTION THEORY

Reception Theory is based on Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model of the relationship between text and audience - the text is encoded by the producer, and decoded by the reader. When the producers use common codes and conventions, which lead the expectations of the audience, this leads to the audience reacting to the certain text in a positive way. These can be the genre, the use of stars and common themes used in the film. This leads to producers being able to position the audience in a certain amount of agreement on what the code means. This is known as a preferred reading.

TWO STEP MODEL

The theory follows that there are opinion leaders which love the mass media and pay close attention, which leads these leaders to tell other individuals in social contact. This leads to the spread of a certain media text, which can serve as advertisement. It is common, that when a friend recommends a media text, they are more likely to see it.

EXIT POLLS

Exit polls from Alexdavies44

ROLE OF BBFC

The role of the bbfc from Alexdavies44