Audiences form an important entity in media and they are seen as market products by media companies. It is because of audiences that media has come into existence. Audiences have led to media companies constructing messages and looking for ways to convey those messages to them. An example of a media channel is the television. The television is both audio and visual it is an ideal media type for it shows how audiences are used as market products. Many people have turned to television media because it is up-to-date and with uses the current technology, digital.
Active audience
Audiences become active in media communication channels like television when they are directly involved in the medias daily activities like discussions. Active audiences have their own independence from the presenters and this makes them to have their own clear mind which allows them to make independent decisions. They also interpret media messages in their own way and get the meaning that is useful to them.
The audience also has the freedom to select the choice of media it wants to listen to and also the content. Audiences also have different responses to the media and they may side with the media when it is correct or go against it when it is destroying the society. Television involves its audience in its activities through different ways.
When shows are being aired in television channels, the presenter always gives a chance for the audience to air their views or give their comments about a certain issue. The audience can send messages through different ways e.g. sending text messages using a number which is provided or through the use of the internet in particular email. An active audience ensures that viewers give instant feedback to television producers. Then this feedback is incorporated into the production method which ensures the television producers give the audience quality presentations hence meeting their needs which ensures satisfaction to the viewer. The feedback provided is also important to the television presenters in that it helps them improve their production procedures. The feedback helps them correct the mistakes identified by the viewers. The producers are able to see what the viewers were pleased with or were not in regards to the way they may have handled various issues. The audience can choose to dislike something during active audience interactions because it can affect them morally, politically or religious wise.
Viewers are always free to give their opinion on issues. Active interaction can help television presenters to improve on their job through various ways. They help presenters in developing plots for plays, movies and shows thus providing the right material to the viewers. They also help them when it comes to handling technical needs of the show and also continuity of the show. Wardrobe and make up aspects of presenters are also improved when there is an active audience to criticize. When all these things are in good order, the viewer gets to enjoy the show. Active interaction with the audience helps reduce consumption of media shows passively and also reduces the authority of media producers by making them see the viewers as part and parcel of their presentation. Feedback also makes presenters be accountable to viewers. Virtual involvement in the production process allows viewers to adopt the position of producers and this makes conversion of viewers feedback into possible marketing tools. This in turn helps benefit the company (Hanes, 2000).
Passive audience
Viewers are termed to be passive in media when they try to act as slaves to the channels they watch or are easily manipulated by those channels. Passive audiences do not have any say they have to consume what they are given irregardless of the standards. In passive communication, the media will not provide ways for the audience to air their views or give feedback concerning the show being aired or the presenter airing the show. This is a disadvantage to the audience as they may sometimes be forced to consume or listen to shows which are not standard or quality. For example, if a television show is airing content that can affect children in terms of their behavior or education, parents will not have any say because there is no way to communicate their views. This will lead to the media having a bad impact on the society. The television presenters will not be able to improve on their presentation as their mistakes will not be identified. Passive viewers are always prone to manipulation as they have no say they do not have a mind of their own but they follow the decision of radio presenters. Active viewers on the other hand are always informed, and they are free to air their opinions. When audiences do not have a say in the programs that are aired, it leads to the oppression of the society (Hanes, 2000)
Encoding and decoding models
In order for text to have a clear meaning, its important for audiences to be there to make the right interpretations. Text does not have a single meaning rather than a variety which can be defined by either the text or by the people receiving the text from the media. The meaning does not always lie in the text but in the interpretation of the text. Encoding and decoding model has taken into account that the meanings made by an audience about a text can be affected by a number of factors. This includes the social economic structure of the person and also the past experiences the person had. This model also considers the way or the context in which the media message will be consumed. For example, if a parent at home is watching television with his kids and the kids are distracting him, then the meaning he will get from the show will be different from the meaning he would have made if he were watching alone. The same meanings will be different from the meanings concluded by someone reading a newspaper in a quiet room. Other models like the effect model do not consider text in the same way that the encoding and decoding model does. The effect model views society to be made up of isolated people who are vulnerable to messages conveyed by the media. It doesnt consider the audience as someone who has beliefs, opinions, ideas and attitudes. It assumes that the audience is passive in receiving and interpreting information from the media. It gives a lot of emphasize on the text and its power to directly influence the society (Hanes, 2000).
The uses and gratification model considers how the viewer is using the media but not the effects of the media on the viewer. It suggests that the viewer has his own needs and that is why he turns to the media. For example, a person may need a diversion maybe from the stress or pressure he experiences daily thus, he will turn to television. In another example, the viewer can be in need to compare his life with the life of the people in the television or situations presented in the television. Television also provides its viewers with information on security matters in the country thus, a viewer might need to know the status of security in his country or worldwide prompting him to switch on the television. Viewers in this model are viewed to have a variety of information they can choose from so as to satisfy their needs. However, this model views a message to be a parcel of ideas which all viewers will interpret the same. This model concentrates mostly on how media information will be consumed by the audience rather than how the ideas will affect the consumers. It doesnt also concentrate on how many meanings a message can have from viewers as each person has a different capacity and views. It doesnt give the audience the morale to enjoy media (Hanes, 2000).
The Halls encoding and decoding model assumes that every text has a preferred meaning. It also places emphasis on the audience when making meanings. It has both a central view on text and the audience. Hall emphasized on the central view of text whereby he says that every text has a preferred meaning yet its also possible for the text to have a variety of meanings since the viewers may have different opinions concerning what is aired. Its up to the viewer to analyze the text and get out the right information to suit his needs. This model sees the audience as active users. A nationwide study shows that people live according to the structures and rules which have been set and they cant go against them. This is unfair because people are not able to express their views they have to consume what is provided. (Hanes, 2000)
Screen theory
It is the study of how an audience is positioned by media text. For example in films, the position of the audience is determined by the use of camera shots. This is achieved by the use of the forward shot and reverse shot which are used during a conversation and which enable the viewer to position himselfherself as the character. The screen theory suggests that all media texts have a mode in which they should be addressed. It also suggests that media text should address its intended audience in a particular manner so as to establish a relationship between the producers of the text and the media audience. The mode of address will depend on the media in use. For example a movie hardly ever addresses its viewers directly. It also defines that films are only shot to express that films are real but when it comes to comedy, characters always examine the camera. Television channels always differ from cameras as their audience is not expected to pay attention but movies demand their audience to pay attention. This implies that televisions have to work hard so as to maintain the attention of the audience. (Hanes, 2000)
I think that the audience is active in media. This is because people nowadays are able to speak for themselves especially if they have a pressing issue. The audiences have an independent mind from the presenters and they are able to make decisions depending on the past experiences they have had. When it comes to issues touching their moral life, the society doesnt allow the media to dictate and destroy the society. For example, audiences are normally active when it comes to political issues. They are able to make the right decisions without the influence of media. (Hanes, 2000)
Since the audience is important in media, then the media should make the audience to be active in their business by using the right model to encode and decode their messages. This is because active audiences dont depend on any one to interpret messages for them but they analyze them themselves and are able to agree or disagree with the media on any issue. The media should convey texts which they are aware of keeping in mind how those texts affect the audience. By doing this, the media will prove to be important to the audience, will build the audience morally, and will keep the culture of the society.
Active audience
Audiences become active in media communication channels like television when they are directly involved in the medias daily activities like discussions. Active audiences have their own independence from the presenters and this makes them to have their own clear mind which allows them to make independent decisions. They also interpret media messages in their own way and get the meaning that is useful to them.
The audience also has the freedom to select the choice of media it wants to listen to and also the content. Audiences also have different responses to the media and they may side with the media when it is correct or go against it when it is destroying the society. Television involves its audience in its activities through different ways.
When shows are being aired in television channels, the presenter always gives a chance for the audience to air their views or give their comments about a certain issue. The audience can send messages through different ways e.g. sending text messages using a number which is provided or through the use of the internet in particular email. An active audience ensures that viewers give instant feedback to television producers. Then this feedback is incorporated into the production method which ensures the television producers give the audience quality presentations hence meeting their needs which ensures satisfaction to the viewer. The feedback provided is also important to the television presenters in that it helps them improve their production procedures. The feedback helps them correct the mistakes identified by the viewers. The producers are able to see what the viewers were pleased with or were not in regards to the way they may have handled various issues. The audience can choose to dislike something during active audience interactions because it can affect them morally, politically or religious wise.
Viewers are always free to give their opinion on issues. Active interaction can help television presenters to improve on their job through various ways. They help presenters in developing plots for plays, movies and shows thus providing the right material to the viewers. They also help them when it comes to handling technical needs of the show and also continuity of the show. Wardrobe and make up aspects of presenters are also improved when there is an active audience to criticize. When all these things are in good order, the viewer gets to enjoy the show. Active interaction with the audience helps reduce consumption of media shows passively and also reduces the authority of media producers by making them see the viewers as part and parcel of their presentation. Feedback also makes presenters be accountable to viewers. Virtual involvement in the production process allows viewers to adopt the position of producers and this makes conversion of viewers feedback into possible marketing tools. This in turn helps benefit the company (Hanes, 2000).
Passive audience
Viewers are termed to be passive in media when they try to act as slaves to the channels they watch or are easily manipulated by those channels. Passive audiences do not have any say they have to consume what they are given irregardless of the standards. In passive communication, the media will not provide ways for the audience to air their views or give feedback concerning the show being aired or the presenter airing the show. This is a disadvantage to the audience as they may sometimes be forced to consume or listen to shows which are not standard or quality. For example, if a television show is airing content that can affect children in terms of their behavior or education, parents will not have any say because there is no way to communicate their views. This will lead to the media having a bad impact on the society. The television presenters will not be able to improve on their presentation as their mistakes will not be identified. Passive viewers are always prone to manipulation as they have no say they do not have a mind of their own but they follow the decision of radio presenters. Active viewers on the other hand are always informed, and they are free to air their opinions. When audiences do not have a say in the programs that are aired, it leads to the oppression of the society (Hanes, 2000)
Encoding and decoding models
In order for text to have a clear meaning, its important for audiences to be there to make the right interpretations. Text does not have a single meaning rather than a variety which can be defined by either the text or by the people receiving the text from the media. The meaning does not always lie in the text but in the interpretation of the text. Encoding and decoding model has taken into account that the meanings made by an audience about a text can be affected by a number of factors. This includes the social economic structure of the person and also the past experiences the person had. This model also considers the way or the context in which the media message will be consumed. For example, if a parent at home is watching television with his kids and the kids are distracting him, then the meaning he will get from the show will be different from the meaning he would have made if he were watching alone. The same meanings will be different from the meanings concluded by someone reading a newspaper in a quiet room. Other models like the effect model do not consider text in the same way that the encoding and decoding model does. The effect model views society to be made up of isolated people who are vulnerable to messages conveyed by the media. It doesnt consider the audience as someone who has beliefs, opinions, ideas and attitudes. It assumes that the audience is passive in receiving and interpreting information from the media. It gives a lot of emphasize on the text and its power to directly influence the society (Hanes, 2000).
The uses and gratification model considers how the viewer is using the media but not the effects of the media on the viewer. It suggests that the viewer has his own needs and that is why he turns to the media. For example, a person may need a diversion maybe from the stress or pressure he experiences daily thus, he will turn to television. In another example, the viewer can be in need to compare his life with the life of the people in the television or situations presented in the television. Television also provides its viewers with information on security matters in the country thus, a viewer might need to know the status of security in his country or worldwide prompting him to switch on the television. Viewers in this model are viewed to have a variety of information they can choose from so as to satisfy their needs. However, this model views a message to be a parcel of ideas which all viewers will interpret the same. This model concentrates mostly on how media information will be consumed by the audience rather than how the ideas will affect the consumers. It doesnt also concentrate on how many meanings a message can have from viewers as each person has a different capacity and views. It doesnt give the audience the morale to enjoy media (Hanes, 2000).
The Halls encoding and decoding model assumes that every text has a preferred meaning. It also places emphasis on the audience when making meanings. It has both a central view on text and the audience. Hall emphasized on the central view of text whereby he says that every text has a preferred meaning yet its also possible for the text to have a variety of meanings since the viewers may have different opinions concerning what is aired. Its up to the viewer to analyze the text and get out the right information to suit his needs. This model sees the audience as active users. A nationwide study shows that people live according to the structures and rules which have been set and they cant go against them. This is unfair because people are not able to express their views they have to consume what is provided. (Hanes, 2000)
Screen theory
It is the study of how an audience is positioned by media text. For example in films, the position of the audience is determined by the use of camera shots. This is achieved by the use of the forward shot and reverse shot which are used during a conversation and which enable the viewer to position himselfherself as the character. The screen theory suggests that all media texts have a mode in which they should be addressed. It also suggests that media text should address its intended audience in a particular manner so as to establish a relationship between the producers of the text and the media audience. The mode of address will depend on the media in use. For example a movie hardly ever addresses its viewers directly. It also defines that films are only shot to express that films are real but when it comes to comedy, characters always examine the camera. Television channels always differ from cameras as their audience is not expected to pay attention but movies demand their audience to pay attention. This implies that televisions have to work hard so as to maintain the attention of the audience. (Hanes, 2000)
I think that the audience is active in media. This is because people nowadays are able to speak for themselves especially if they have a pressing issue. The audiences have an independent mind from the presenters and they are able to make decisions depending on the past experiences they have had. When it comes to issues touching their moral life, the society doesnt allow the media to dictate and destroy the society. For example, audiences are normally active when it comes to political issues. They are able to make the right decisions without the influence of media. (Hanes, 2000)
Since the audience is important in media, then the media should make the audience to be active in their business by using the right model to encode and decode their messages. This is because active audiences dont depend on any one to interpret messages for them but they analyze them themselves and are able to agree or disagree with the media on any issue. The media should convey texts which they are aware of keeping in mind how those texts affect the audience. By doing this, the media will prove to be important to the audience, will build the audience morally, and will keep the culture of the society.
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