Audience Theories

Hypodermic needle:
The hypodermic needle was first introduced in the 1930's and it is said to be like injecting a message into the audience, as the mass media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect. If the message has a positive aspect, then the audience will give off positive reactions just like if there were negative aspects in the media, the audience will give more of a negative reaction.

Reception theory:
Reception theory is a way of understanding a text, which you are able to notice how the audience read them and them, it also places the view into context taking in all of the different factors that could change how the audience read and create a meaning from the text. This theory came from Hanz-Robert Jauss in the late 1960's, but the theory was used a lot more between the 1970's - 1980's. This theory has been criticized by some theorist, however as they are concerned with how the meaning of the experience is created to the audience.

Two step flow:
This theory is said that the audience make their opinion based on the views from a strong opinion leader. Opinion leaders are people who have been influenced themselves by the mass media and then, they pass on their views onto people who aren't as involved in the media. This theory first came around ain 1944 and it was introduced by Paul Lazarfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazel Gaudet.

Done by Lauren Parker