Who is the audience &

why?FOCUS

Who is the audience &

why?FOCUS

To be able to describe and explain the categorisation of audiences.

To be able to apply understanding of audience profiling to create an audience profile.

To explore and understand 3 key media theories; Representation, Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Uses & Gratifications Theory.

3 key media theories; Representation, Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Uses & Gratifications Theory.

In your orange books add the following headings and questions to three blank pages

REPRESENTATION, MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS AND USES & GRATIFICATIONS THEORY Questions = What is it, how does it work how

can I use it to analyse texts?

REPRESENTATION

What is Representation?

How does it work?

How can I use it to analyse aMedia text?

MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

How does it work?

How can I use it to analyse aMedia text?

USES & GRATIFICATIONS THEORY

What is Uses & Gratifications Theory?

How does it work?

How can I use it to analyse aMedia text?

Representation is the way in which ideas, people and places are re-presented to us in a media text.

Representation works by using messages and stereotypes in the media to make the audience believe certain things about the ideas, people are places that are being re-presented to us.

Here are some key questions to use when analysing the representation in a media text;• Who is being re-presented?• How are they being re-presented?• What elements of their character are being emphasized

or ignored?• Is it realistic or does it lack verisimilitude?• Who might be harmed by this re-presentation?• Who might benefit from this re-presentation?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is a theory which suggests there are 5 stages people go through in life. The theory says that at each stage we have different motivations that drive us.

If we apply these stages to media then we can use them to try to understand the motivations behind our target audiences along with another piece of evidence to support our arguments.

This diagram shows you the different levels.

Think of the levels as relating to growing up. When you are a little baby your only

motivations are food and sleep. (RED) As you become a toddler your motivations

are feeling safe and loved. (ORANGE) As a teenager you want to be liked and

accepted by your peers and you might start to have feelings of intimacy for others. (YELLOW)

As a young adult you are career driven and want to achieve things for yourself. (GREEN)

As a middle aged person (and possibly a parent) you start to concern yourself with the bigger picture – the world and how you might have an impact. (PURPLE)

Match each product to a stage on Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and explain why you think it matches the motivations for that stage.

Now write a short paragraph explaining which stage of Maslow’s Hierarchy you think the audience for your Research Investigation text is at and why.

Uses & Gratifications Theory focuses not on the product but on what people do with the media.

This theory suggests that audience members actively seek out media products to satisfy their needs.

It also suggests that, since the audience are being active, they pick and choose some messages and ideas and ignore the rest.

Uses & Gratifications Theory can link very well with Representation and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

The target audience for Inked is mostly men. HOWEVER Adam Levine is a pop star,

traditionally an icon more appealing to women than men. Using Uses & Gratifications Theory you could argue that the mainly male audience CHOOSE TO IGNORE THIS and buy the magazine for its contents rather than its cover. THINK – why then would the producers put a male pop star on the front? (answer this in your books alongside your notes)