1. The Effects of the Mass Media on People’s Behaviour

2. Facts & Figures Newspaper Readership Tabloid / “Mass Market” newspapers are the most popular newspapers (based on sales figures). However, from 1983-2006, there has been a decrease in the % of people reading tabloid newspapers & an increase in the % of people reading broadsheets / “quality” newspapers.

3. Facts & Figures TV Viewing Figures Ownership of a digital TV service has grown steadily: a)1996=19% of households b)2006=65% of households c)2007=81% of households Why? a)To access more channels. b)To access particular channels. c)Better quality picture / sound.

4. Facts & Figures Internet Use Many ways to access the internet today. There has been an increase in internet use: a)1998/99=10% b)2005/05=55% c)2007=61% Internet use is linked to household income. High household income=more likely to have access to the internet. Number of reasons for internet use. 86% of people use it for research purposes. 85% of people use it for e- mails. Younger age groups are more likely to use the internet. 16-24 year olds use it the most.

5. Sociological Views of the Effects of the Mass Media

6. The Hypodermic Syringe Approach 1)People in the early 20 th Century (the 1900s) believed that the mass media could have a lot of power over the audience; it could have a very powerful effect on behaviour. 2)The main ideas behind this approach are: a) The audience receives daily injections of messages from TV and newspapers. b) These messages work like a drug. c) They have a direct and powerful effect on the audience’s attitudes and behaviour.

7. The Hypodermic Syringe Approach 3) “The media could be used for propaganda purposes” means that it could be used to influence a person’s opinion on a specific topic. 4) Example of propaganda: Encouraging people to support a particular war or government policy. 5) The key belief of this approach if that the media has a powerful effect on behaviour.

8. The Hypodermic Syringe Approach Criticisms: a)No evidence to prove this theory as it is impossible to actually measure the effect of the media on a person’s behaviour. b)People do not accept everything that they are told by the media. 7. Replaced with Uses and Gratifications Approach.

9. The Uses and Gratification Approach 1. The hypodermic syringe approach emphasizes what the media do to their audience, the uses and gratification model focuses on what audiences do with the media. 2.The uses and gratification approach focuses on how we, as members of the audience, use the media. 3.It examines the individual needs that are gratified, or met, by the media. EG we watch quiz programmes because they offer excitement, education and a chance for us to beat the experts.

10. The Uses and Gratification Approach 4.McQuail (1987; 2003) found that the neeeds which television most satisfied were for the following: a)Information b)Personal identity c)Personal relationships d)Entertainment and diversion

11. The Decoding Approach 1. Suggests that the content of a particular TV programme, such as a news bulletin, has several possible meanings. It may, therefore, be decoded or interpreted in a number of ways. 2. Different sections of the audience may decode or interpret the contents of a TV programme in very different ways. 3. The way a programme is decoded may depend on, for example, the social and cultural background of different sections of the audience. For example, a worker involved in strike action is likely to interpret news bulletins about the strike differently from the senior managers.

12. The Decoding Approach 4. How we decode a particular programme is shaped by our cultural and social backgrounds, our age, gender and ethnicity. How we actually respond to the programme’s messages depends on our own reading of it. 5.The decoding approach sees the audience very differently from the way the hypodermic syringe approach sees it. While the hypodermic syringe approach views the audience as passively receiving media messages, the decoding approach sees audience members as actively interpreting these messages.

13. Task: Pick two of the programmes below and explain how each of the following people may decode or interpret the programme: a) 10 year old school girl b) 21 year old male University student c) A 36 year old female G.P. d) A 70 year old retired bus driver Things to think about: How watchable, relevant and interesting would each person find the two programmes that you have chosen? EastendersNews at Ten Question TimeDoctor Who Blue PeterLittle Britain CSIThe Simpsons FriendsTop Gear

14. The Decoding Approach Re-Cap The content of a particular TV programme, such as a news bulletin, has several possible meanings. It maybe decoded or interpreted in a number of ways. Different sections of the audience may decode or interpret the contents of a TV programme in very different ways. The way a programme is decoded may depend on the social and cultural background of different sections of the audience, as well as their age, gender and ethnicity. The decoding approach sees audience members as actively interpreting these messages.

15. Decoding Approach Hypodermic Approach View of the audience View on how powerful the media are View of the media message- one message or many messages