‘Media consumption is an outdated idea, audiences don’t just “consume” media anymore.’ How far
do you agree with this statement?
My study area is film and I am going to discuss the idea that audiences are not just consumers anymore
and the idea of considering audiences as merely consumers is an outdated one. I will be using the
casestudy of avengers endgame (2019) for supporting my arguments.
passive audiences theories:
1920 Hypdermic needle (audiences are passive consumers of the media products. And this theory
assumed that media has direct, immediate and uniform effect on the passive audiences) Laswell.
Active audiencs:
1970s Uses and gratification (Blumler and Katz). Audienes are active. An they actively make their own
choices. And they consume the media to gratify their needs. (information, entertainment, personal
identity, social interaction)
1970 Audience reception theory (stuart hall) Audiences are active and they actively take out meanings
from the product. And they might totally agree or totally disagree or somewhat agree to the media
messages. (preferred reading, oppositional reading, negotiated readings)
New media (lev manovich)
David gauntlett Web 1.0 1990s
Transition To web 2.0 2003 onwards, (audiences or consumers can make their own products, platforms
to share their ideas, feedbacks and their products such as social media, youtube etc)
Clay shirkey : “End of audience”. we have shifted from One to many communication model to Many to
many communication model of the audiences.
Alvin Tofler: Prosumer (Producers + consumers)
Henry Jenkins: Participatory culture. Audiences have their own Fandom. (fan culture, fan base).
collective intelligence: (no one knows everything, everyone knows something, together we know a lot!)
Nows audiences are not local as well. Audiences are global. Films are released globally.
Audiences are fragmented now.
Csigo (2007) audiences are falling apart but they are still together on other platforms such as social
media.