Information sheet for A Level students about one audience theory

When producing media, producers need to consider who the audience will be. To help determine who the audience will be, market research is used. For example, a producer may decide to use questionnaires, to get ideas of what audiences want from a product. Market research is conducted before planning of the media text. By doing this market research, the producer can better adapt his/her media piece in order to suite that specific audience. When considering the target audience they also need to consider their age, gender, race, and location. By considering these factors the media text producers can even better directly appeal the media text to the audience. This will inevitably make the media text more successful, which would also financially benefit the media producers. In total there are six types of audiences:
• A, upper middle class – top management, bankers, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals.
• B, middle class – middle management, teachers, many ‘creative’ e.g. graphic designers.
• C1, lower middle class – office supervisors, junior managers, nurses, specialist’s clerical staff.
• C2, skilled working class - skilled workers, tradespersons, (white collar).
• D, working class – semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers, (blue collar).
• E, people at lowest level of income – unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers.

The hypodermic needle theory
• Introduced in the 1020’s. This was the first attempt to explain how audiences react to mass media.
• The theory suggests audiences passively receive information transmitted via a media text, without any attempt on their part to process or challenge the data. This basically means that audiences are somewhat manipulated by the media text creators, as the audiences behavior and thinking could be easily changed due to the media text.



This image describes what happens, according to the hypodermic needle theory. The needle represents the media, which is easily being passed in to the brain. As a result it manipulates behaviors and thinking of the audience.


• The theory is still quoted during morally panics by parents, politicians, and pressure groups, and is used to explain why certain groups in society should not be exposed to certain media texts.

This is an example of the hypodermic needle theory occurring:



The cover of this magazine shows a very well known artist with a gun to himself. The reason why this fits it to the theory is because this media text can alter the audience’s behavior and thinking. For example, the young generation. This is a very well known, successful rapper. If they see this image they may feel it is ok to have a gun. As a result this changes behaviors and thinking, due to them being manipulated by the media text.


Source: http://www.idsnews.com/blogs/livebuzz/wp-content/uploads/the-game-source-magazine-cover-shot.jpg




Useful websites for the hypodermic needle theory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypodermic_needle_model
http://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1708629.html
http://www.cw.utwente.nl/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Mass%20Media/Hypodermic_Needle_Theory.doc/