Vehicle Strand Audiences Audiences Introduction BS bobo dolls

Vehicle Strand Audiences

Audiences: Introduction B&S: bobo dolls, voyeurism, content and quantitative analysis, encoding and decoding, ethnography, negotiated readings, cultural competences, audiences as producers time to address audiences…

Audiences what is the relationship between a media text (artefact) and its audience (consumer)? no conclusive research you must assess merits of different approaches

Audiences two basic models or approaches: (1) effects model (B&S focus) (2) uses model (my focus) Key terms: effects model, uses model

Effects Model Key questions: what do the media do to the audience? how do the media affect audiences? assumption: the media change our ideas, perceptions, behaviour…

The Effects E. g. effects of watching television violence: audience members become desensitised audience members become fearful audience members become violent (e. g. Columbine, Jamie Bulger)

Hypodermic Model effects model a. k. a. ‘hypodermic needle model’ the media ‘inject’ a message audience are ‘drugged’, passive, manipulated recipients power lies with the message

(quoted in Mc. Luhan, 1964, p. 3) Any Questions?

Uses & Gratifications Model Key questions: how do audiences use the media? what motivates an audience? what needs do they seek to gratify? Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch (1974) four uses…

The Uses (1) Surveillance people seek awareness, fear ignorance e. g. news (e. g. current affairs) e. g. Crime. Watch and Rogue. Trader need: knowledge and security

The Uses (2) Personal Identity reaffirm identity and position in society define yourself in relation to others e. g. individuals on reality TV shows e. g. celebrity shows e. g. characters in soap operas use: affirm identity

The Uses (3) Personal Relationships media consumption as a social activity e. g. watching movies together e. g. discussing TV shows use: cement relationships

The Uses (4) Diversion escapism, forget your own life e. g. Blockbusters, holiday shows etc can be positive: cheer you up can be negative: happy with own life use: diversion

Models or Approaches? many different approaches to research into the media specific research will adhere to one or other of these two models…

Assumptions each model relies on an assumption about the audience: effects model: power lies with message and audience is passive uses model: power lies with the individual and audience is active

Assumptions and Ideologies these assumptions demonstrate the researchers’ ideologies (beliefs) about the human mind effects model: humans are influenced and manipulated, i. e. they are not ‘free’ (c. f the Matrix) uses model: humans are not controlled or determined, i. e. they are ‘free’ (c. f. Neo) which do you believe? Any Questions?

Videodrome David Cronenberg, 1983 James Woods, Debbie Harry Network of Blood, Zonekiller DVD in library

Videodrome Max Renn, sleazy cable TV channel Channel 83: cheap sex and violence discovers ‘Videodrome’ broadcast affects his mind: gruesome hallucination or reality…?

Videodrome Vehicle Strand narrative genre representation audience Environment Strand Cronenberg knows Mc. Luhan’s work: hot and cool media discarnate identity Brian O’Blivion = Marshall Mc. Luhan

Videodrome Today’s relevance: audiences: effects and uses the power of television? satire on censorship? Clip: media debate on Max’s broadcasts participants: Max, Nicky, Rena, Brian their own assumptions regarding media audiences?

Videodrome (1983)

Videodrome Participants & their Disposition Rena (effects): “a climate of violence & sexual malaise” Nicky (effects): “we live in overstimulated times” Max (uses): “a harmless outlet” Brian: ? ? ?

Audiences Debate organise into groups of 6 people divide your group into 2 factions decide which faction will be ‘pro’ and which ‘con’ the proposition

Proposition The texts produced by the media provide harmless information and entertainment. Audiences are intelligent enough to consume these texts without having their ideas and behaviour manipulated, and without becoming desensitised couch potatoes, quivering and fearful wrecks, or violent and sadistic killers. Audiences are essentially proactive in their use of the media.

Audiences Debate take a handout each take your faction’s readings (one person) read your text (5 mins) share you text(10 mins) pro faction (5 mins) con faction (5 mins) responses (15 mins)

Questions Does the age, gender or education of the audience make a difference? Does genre make a difference? Correlation and causation? What ideological assumptions would you expect each of the six readings to hold? Have you been affected by violence you’ve seen in the media? Which model do you think is right?

Environment Strand Participating in the Global Village

Mc. Luhan on Audiences beyond ‘effects’ and ‘uses’ models O’Blivion (Mc. Luhan) ignores debate, talks instead of “television names” (i. e. virtual identities, discarnate man) media do affect audiences: they create new environments and change societies and individuals medium not message audience is not passive: media are extensions, e. g. TV, radio Key term: global village

The Global Village a popular probe, phrase endures “The new electronic inter-dependence recreates the world in the image of a global village. ” (Mc. Luhan and Fiore, 1967: 67) what does this mean…?

Two Quotations “Electric circuitry has overthrown the regime of ‘time’ and ‘space’ and pours upon us instantly and continuously the concerns of all other men. It has reconstituted dialogue on a global scale. ” (Mc. Luhan and Fiore, 1967: 16) “Ours is a brand-new world of allatonceness. ‘Time’ has ceased, ‘space’ has vanished. We now live in a global village…a simultaneous happening. ” (Mc. Luhan and Fiore, 1967: 63)

Village Life everyone has equal access to public information (town crier) everyone can ask questions & interaction is immediate everyone is a participant romantic representation?

Print creates a mass audience: whole nations get same information simultaneity of communication is lost: individual and dispersed from acoustic to visual space communication channel is one-way: people are passive receivers

Time Overthrown radio and television broadcasts restore simultaneity time is “overthrown”: “allatonceness” and “simultaneous happening” ‘town crier’ is retrieved (third law) channel is still one-way though: receivers are still voyeurs and eavesdroppers

Telephone & Internet participatory element of village life is also restored e. g. forums: you can question the town crier, and post yourself dialogue is now on a (potentially) global scale

Space Overthrown new media make large areas small interaction is possible across vast (global) distances (Skype) space is “overthrown” Any Questions?

Political Implications “A new form of ‘politics’ is emerging, and in ways we haven’t yet noticed. The living room has become a voting booth. Participation via television in Freedom Marches, in war, revolution, pollution, and other events is changing everything. ” (Mc. Luhan & Fiore, 1967: 24) how so…?

Political Implications from voyeurs to participants non-simultaneous newspapers vs simultaneous TV broadcast you see events as they happen you are involved right now the human community has expanded: a “global human tribe” or “human family”

Ethical Implications “Our new environment compels commitment and participation. We have become irrevocably involved with, and responsible for, each other. ” (Mc. Luhan and Fiore, 1967: 24) like village life, you (can) know everything that’s going on this brings responsibility, like it or not you become involved in the lives of distant people – the emergence of global issues and interdependence

A Global Utopia? electronic media force involvement and participation on us but responsibility doesn’t necessarily bring harmony and peace more exposure = more disagreement (discontinuity and division) print = coherent nation states new media = global factions “I don’t approve of the global village. I say we live in it. ”

Wikipedia http: //www. wikipedia. org/ online encyclopaedia launched 2001 19. 9 million articles 282 languages one of top 10 websites 365 million readers worldwide e. g. Videodrome

Wikipedia users can be editors a global ‘audience’ of participants thus completely up-to-date ‘wiki’ = Hawaiian for ‘quick’ “a simultaneous happening” e. g. Videodrome (edit)

Problems quality is patchy: anyone can edit it vandalism: anyone can vandalise it (discarnate individuals? ) e. g. Marshall Mc. Luhan, Wikipedia solution: anyone can fix it, and quickly

Wikipedia Village huge, international, global project anyone can contribute: from spectator to participant new ethical awareness: responsibility not to mess it up dispute, disagreement and division Any Questions?

Week 7: Directed Study Identify your case study topic Source and begin reading theoretical texts about the topic. Identify your media or technological example. Bring all information along to week 9 session The forum deadline: 1 pm, Friday 31 st October

For week 8 Read Branston & Stafford (2010) Ch. 13 on ‘Documentary and ‘reality’ debates’