Television and Video

Studies
Daniella Vincent
 Hypodermic Needle

The hypodermic needle model is a model of communications suggesting that an

intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver. -

Wikipedia

Was originally made to influence viewers minds with propaganda both in

America and Germany in the 1920s and 1930s.

The media (needle) injects the message into audience mind and it cause
changes in audience behavior and psyche towards the message. Audience are
passive and they cant resist the media message is called Hypodermic Needle
Theory.
 Two-step flow

Was first introduced by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet in
1944 during a Presidential Election campaign.

The Two Step Flow Theory suggests that opinion leaders pay close attention to
the mass media and pass on their interpretation of media messages to others.
Unlike the Hypodermic Needle Theory, The Two Step Flow Theory maintains that
audiences are active participants in the communication process.
Uses and gratifications

The Uses & Gratifications theory of audience suggests, unlike the hypodermic needle
model, that the audience determines what to do with the media rather than the media
simply influencing the audience directly.

The main idea is that media does not fully control a helpless audience, but rather the
media is subjective per person as they use it to meet needs.

When an audience actively seeks media, they want to gratify a need the message of
the media is not being forced on them as such, they are choosing to interpret its
message.
Preferred readings

The Nationwide Project was media audience research project where Morley conducted
qualitative research with various different people from different educational and
occupational backgrounds.
He observed different responses to a clip of its budget special to see whether they
would receive it with dominant, oppositional or negotiated readings.
Different types of audience reception:
Oppositional
people disagree with the message and reject it.
Negotiated
On the whole, the view is agreed with but slightly altered.
Dominant
The message is fully accepted.
Passive/active

Media texts are 'consumed' by different audiences in different ways as an audience

member can be active or passive.
Decoding of a media message may therefore influenced by such things as family
background, beliefs, values, culture, interests, education and experiences.
Passive
- an active model instead suggests that audiences interact with the text to create
meaning.
Active
- a passive model of consumption suggests that texts have an effecton the audience.
Thank you for
listening