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Audience Studies (3P18) Blog #2

Blog Post #2 is weeks 6-10.

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Week 10

There has been immense change over the last 15 years with the digitalization of the media, so much so that it is hard to keep track of the advances in technology that the world has seen. Sullivan tries to break down the digitalization of the media in this chapter and also discuss who has power in the media. The textbook mentions that the audience in the online, interactive, digital media world audiences have the power. For example, a program will only continue to run and create seasons if audiences enjoy it and promote it over social media. Disjointed was a show that was cancelled not only due to the lack of support after a year on the air but also its cannabis-based programming.

The other power holder mentioned in the textbook is the prosumer. This is a combination of a producer and a consumer and the most common example is YouTubers. Via the platform of YouTube, these individuals create content while are still active users. There will always be an active discussion of who has the power and whether or not we believe this to be true. However, as discussed in class it is the vast majority that agrees that audiences/consumers have the power. This can be suggested because of the amount of targeted media that we consume. Although the targeting is made for each individual it questions if we really do have the power to choose what we consume and keeps us in a constant state of repetition. On the other hand, we can question whether our decisions are already made for us and we are just data points used for economic growth. Facebook tracking was discussed in lecture and the documentary The Social Dilemma is a good example proving just how much data and personal information Facebook has while also providing more information on whether or not we have individual autonomy.  

In the Athique article it discusses big data which can bring up the discussion of how legal and ethical data mining really is. For example, there are times when people have discussed certain topics in everyday conversations and later see a post or advertisement for what they were talking about online. It is required to obtain the consent of the participant and keep it anonymous when people organize scientific and academic data mining but with big data they argue that everyone has already voluntarily given up the information. This is done by leaking the information to social media sites and clicking "I agree" after they sign up without actually reading anything.

Crowdsourcing is another concept and using fandoms to crowdsource works by recognizing participation. Through prior interactional culture, it becomes participatory. It is more of a community of users and example of this would be encouraging Brock alumni to donate for the benefit of current and incoming students. Donations from alumni work to maintain the reputation of sports programs and school clubs. There are many other examples of celebrities who have been ethically and morally wrong in using their power to crowdsource and many have faced backlash for these actions. Some name brands have also been forced to crowdsource in order to maintain hundreds of jobs. One of the biggest examples being NASA in 2012 when they were forced to crowdsource for their research into Mars. Luckily, a mission to Mars intrigues the public and they were able to collect a large sum of money to help the efforts.

When we mention the power of audiences “participatory culture” can be examined. In today’s society media audiences have the opportunity and ability to create their own content. This freedom provides not only individual agency but a wide variety of content to be accessible online. This brings us back to the topic of YouTube, a platform allowing for multiple genres of content being produced as well as watched. Being a YouTuber and creating unique content which proves the rise of participatory culture and Sullivan even mentions how “YouTubers have found ways to meld their own individual playfulness with popular media by selecting small portions of existing, copyrighted media material and combining them in new and interesting ways” (Sullivan, 337). Though Athique mentions that they do this freely without payment is true for some creators on YouTube however, now there are some with such a large following that they are making millions off of advertisement revenue.

Finally looking into the future of electronic waste, it is upsetting but not surprising that it has become a growing problem in the municipal waste stream. With the immense amount of other pollution our world has, there is no better time than now to ensure that we are not only using our devices until we no longer can but also dispose of them in a conscious way. Digital media technologies make me feel good and I feel lucky to have access to so much technology but at the same time there are many dangers that come along them with the ability able to temper with your life, money, relationships and the economy. This is why I believe it is important to remember that there is so much more to life than just digital media technologies.

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Week 9

This textbook chapter explores how media viewers use their interpretive imagination to construct, manipulate and reimagine mass media in order to satisfy their own desires. The main area of this chapter has to do with superfans who are individuals dedicated to a type of media, sports team or celebrity. This implies that they are going to dress up, support and engage in activities involving what they are fans of and sometimes even become obsessive.

I would say that I am big fan of the band The Arkells. I follow all of their social media accounts, listen to a podcast hosted by the lead singer, have merchandise and have seen them multiple times in concert. This type of behaviour is common among many artists as well as sports teams who have very active followings and fan bases. These bands and sports teams make most of their money from attracting a large fan base. Though I have met The Arkells once, I would not consider myself a super-fan as I do not engage with their social media posts often, go to every show near me nor follow their every move. A fan is not as obsessed as a super-fan, however, I do consider myself to be a dedicated fan of the Arkells without being obsessed.

 The fandom continuum shapes up like this: Consumer - > Enthusiast - > Fan - > Producer.

Anyone from a super-fan who reproduces their own material to the actual creator of a show from their desired media can be a producer. An enthusiast and fan are somewhat close, but enthusiasts are less dedicated than fans to the subculture. They may not have merchandise while still actively following along. For example, a consumer is someone who can watch the hockey game while with their family or friends and can have continuous interest but typically will not go out of their way to consume this subculture.

Fandom is defined as “The regular, emotionally involved consumption of a given popular narrative or text form of books, television shows, films, or music, as well as popular texts in a broader sense as sports teams and popular icons and stars ranging from athletes and musicians to actors (2005, p.8)” (Sullivan, 291). Although my friends and I do not have any particular sports or movie fandoms that we share, we do enjoy similar music fandoms. Last year I was lucky enough to visit Ireland and while I was there my friends and I went to see John Mayer as well as various other smaller artists. Not only this, but before the pandemic every summer we worked to see as many concerts that our bank accounts would allow. In addition, last year I took part as a consumer when The Toronto Raptors won the Championship. Though I am not the biggest fan of basketball, I enjoyed watching all of the games and attended Jurassic Park in Toronto when invited as I wanted to participate and be a part of such an exciting time.

Another definition a fan according to Sullivan involves collections. I can relate to this through the example of my brother collecting hockey cards. He started receiving them from my dad as gifts from when he was little up until just a few years ago. As he got older he wasn’t as obsessed but he still has them and looks at his collection as a memory and a reminder of his love for hockey. There are also many types of fan fiction that people create. Although I can not directly relate as I have never fully participated in that level of fandom, the many ways to apply this concept through expanding the timeline, reconceptualization, genre shifting, and personalization is very interesting and allows for producers and fans to use their imagination.

Like mentioned in this week’s article, pre-communication and post-communication play an important role within the discussion of fans. A recent buzz of communication over a Television series was The Queen’s Gambit. This was a show that was recently released and much like Stranger Things, received a lot of attention. Though there may not have been as much pre-communication compared to Stranger Things which has ran multiple seasons, The Queens Gambit was not only one of the most popular limited series but also was watched in a record of 62 million households. This created an abundant discussion on the series as a whole and even the game of chess. The amount of post-communication reached the online audience and began multiple discussions as well as an overall build-up of excitement for the show. I know personally, it was the post-communication from both my family and friends that enticed me to watch the series and I loved every episode. This example can bring up the argument or viewpoint that it is easier to be a fan in today’s society due to technology. With the increase in technology over the years there has been more opportunity to be a devoted fan. Celebrities, organizations and sports teams now all have a presence on social media platforms making them easily accessible for communication and updates.

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Week 8

Media reception is the manner in which an audience interprets the media in a particular context. In a specific time and place we encounter media, but the space has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Families sitting around a television set have become a thing of the past which has shifted the way the media is viewed by all. The way a certain media was viewed may have influenced family bias in the past as well as conforming to that bias. Now that the same media is consumed when that individual is alone, they are free to interpret and have their own conscious thoughts without feeling pressure to adhere to other interpretations. We have more media access than ever before in a society today and it is all at our fingertips. This has immensely changed the way society has consumed media.

It was strange to grow up in a time when modern technologies and media were rising exponentially, because we had rituals very different from today. The first computer in my house has many memories attached. It was a large box that took a very long time to start but was used for games. My brother and I would play games with my dad after school and it soon became an everyday occurrence. Even though this was an exciting time, it did not take long for modern technology to emerge. Sooner than later this routine was gone and replaced by new technology and gadgets that made life even more individualistic.

Space and time also have an affect on how we consume media. It can be defined as contextual elements of media when we describe the specific environments in which media consumption occurs. This means that how and where we engage with media at specific moments during the day and in our daily routines is unique. The overall concept is another that has changed significantly and has been adapted accordingly over the years. Best described as time-shifting, one is able to choose to watch their program any time, any day and through any media platform instead of waiting for a specific date or time. Though this is not the case for all programming, it is for most. For example, most of the shows that myself and many people my age consumer are on streaming platforms. This allows freedom as we do not have to wait for a specific night of the week to watch our favourite programs.

The Transactional System includes four parts.

Appropriation: When the family takes possession of the communication technology itself, and the device becomes a part of the home environment.

Objectification: Takes place when the technology object is displayed or organized in the home–when it is incorporated within the spatial environment of the household. This process is visible when families rearrange furniture to maximize viewing of a new Television, or place it within an aesthetically attractive media centre.

Incorporation: Encompasses the ways in which these technologies are used by those in the household. This element brings research by Morley on gendered uses of the television and Gray’s observations about different levels of expertise with VCR programming to the forefront.

Conversion: Occurs when the information that is carried through communication technology becomes part of everyday social interactions and builds social capital outside of the home. The plot twists of a favourite soap opera or news about a tragic event witnessed in the private setting of TV viewing become part of conversations with others in the public realm.

(Sullivan, 269-270).

All of these can be applied to not only my life but many family’s everyday lives. For instance, the objectification of the Television in my living room and basement. The furniture is set up in order to best view the Television so that no matter where you are sitting it is visible and the centre of attention in the space. When we look at the article discussed this week, we can confirm how enjoyment levels increase as well as presence and suspense depending on the location and atmosphere. I agree with this personally and feel as though I am more actively engaged when I am at a movie theatre compared to at home. This is due to the fact that it is rude to go on your cell phone in the theatre and the overall atmosphere keeps me fully engaged and excited. However, rituals and viewing at home on the couch with my family is another experience that I thoroughly enjoy.

When we discussed rituals, we looked at rituals viewed on television, viewing television itself as well as media events. Most of these are obsolete right now due to COVID-19 and it makes us think about how lucky we were to have and be a part of rituals. Sports games, concerts and outside events broadcasted are examples of media events we no longer can attend in person. In addition, the programming of these events has changed drastically. Though we have adapted, it is interesting to think about just how important media rituals are in were in daily lives before the pandemic, are now, and will continue to be in the future.

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Week 7

There are different theories and ways for mass media texts to be viewed and looked at in a scholarly manner. Semiotics, Ideological State Apparatuses, Stuart Hall's Encoding/Decoding, Reception Theory as well as how they help to identify how an audience will understand and breakdown media is discussed in Chapter 6.

The analysis of signs and their meaning is known as semiotics. We see semiotics discussed as being able to study the way signs communicate. “Signs are defined by the interaction between two specific elements: the signifier, or the form of the sign, and the signified or referent, which is the concept the signifier represents (De Saussure, 2000)” (Sullivan, 208). Sullivan gives the example of how inmates see uniformed officers in a different light than the outside world particularly because inmates have seen these individuals commit acts of violence against them. This means a uniformed officer (signifier) is also characterized by violence and injustice while control and protection can be implied for an ordinary person.

Ideological State Apparatuses (ISA) are defined by Sullivan as “Church (or other forms of organized religion), the educational system, the family, trade unions, and forms of modern communication such as the press, radio and television (Althusser, 2001, p.80)” (Sullivan, 210). This includes the government's public service announcements on drug issues. They state the messages in a way that interprets that the audience already has a role within the subject and plans to restore their position. These advertisements can be described as cult-like instruments that manipulate an audience with their propaganda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwBg56bjfMM

 This commercial along with many others of its time, portrays individuals unable to live a successful life in society due to marijuana use. Over the years, several claims have surfaced that people who smoke marijuana will not get a job and fry their brain which are only some of the propaganda strategies intended to scare the public. These claims have since been proven wrong and now there is a worldwide acceptance of weed, with Canada and some US states leading the way for legalization of the fairly innocent and nonthreatening drug. As a kid I remember being genuinely scared of these substances believing that the people that did choose to use marijuana and other substances were horrible people with problems and are of low class. It was not until I grew older and matured to realized that alcohol is actually one of the most dangerous substances and arguably more dangerous than marijuana.

Stuart Hall’s Encoding Model works to “Encode the message: creator must place an idea or event or experience in a format that will be meaningful for audiences” and the Decoding Model is the “reception of the message by the audience” (Sullivan, 213). Encoding involves transforming ideas into meaningful discourse with existing social, economic, and cultural contexts. Audiences will then interpret the messages from the creator with their own contexts. The reader breaks down the meaning with their own cognitive information (Sullivan, 213). Noise between one another can determine how we interpret a message which also influences the encoding and decoding of messages. There are many cases of individuals misinterpreting someone's message which then creates problems. One example of this could include texting someone multiple times without a reply. The individual waiting could worry and wonder if something happened while really the other person could be driving, busy or even have a dead phone. The misinterpretation occurs due to the induvial assuming that no reply means that they are ignoring them or something terrible has happened.

Dexter was an example mentioned in lecture which would be the second course this semester where there has been an analysis the television show. Being a fan of the show, it is quick to realize that when Dexter imagines his father talking to him, it is always a projection of his own rationalization for whatever criminal acts he is undertaking. This portrayal of the relationship between Dexter and his father gives the audience a sense of the Super-Ego and the power it holds. His father is a typical “good cop” who desired to punish criminals, and therefore Dexter’s actions reflect the internalization of that brutal, self-punishing Super-Ego whose commands are projected outward onto others deemed worse than Dexter. This gives an example of how needing something to define ourselves against, allows us to never be self contained and is just one way myself or the audience could view the show. As mentioned in lecture there are four modes of audience reception which include transparent, referential, mediated, and discursive. Discursive occurs when “Viewers “may identify (comprehend) the message that is explicitly articulated within the text, and perhaps analyze it further in terms of its motivations or implications (Michelle, 2007, p.208)” (Sullivan, 242) and this is how I personally received the messages shown in the television show Dexter. When we look at the decoding process as a whole there are various positions and what they all have in common is power.

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Week 6

This Chapter on Uses and Gratifications focuses on radio and print as well as how one fosters needs and gratifies them. The overall idea of the chapter is that we are subject to media and how we use media can help create needs that are gratified. The main focus within this is the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and its utilization of the motivations.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:

There can be a discussion about this hierarchy as some agree with the order while others believe that some of the parts should be more fluid. One argument could switch Self-Esteem and Love Needs as some believe it is easier to love yourself before someone else. This could be the case, but it can also be discussed through the love of family and not just a partner. This is just one argument and while I do believe that having a partner should not come before one’s own esteem needs, each individual has their own motivations and interpretations. “As Maslow’s theory suggests, gratifications are critical to the understanding of needs because human beings are continually assessing whether or not their particular needs have been met. If not, then one will seek out a new source of gratification” (Sullivan, 189). This quote applies to the needs of individuals but is also particularly interesting when discussing the recent election. Most of the United States felt that their needs were not met in the previous years with Donald Trump as President. As the next election came closer, we saw more and more individuals rallying and discussing Joseph Biden. This became a large part of the political campaigns as most felt that Biden would be able or work hard to meet the needs of America rather than Trump. Though there is a lot of work to do in politics, the power that those have when seeking proper gratification has proven to be strong.

4 New Media Gratifications:

Modality: Refers to different methods of presentation (audio, text, visual, video, etc).

Agency: Refers to gratifications that provide an opportunity for agency over media.

Interactivity: Refers to gratifications that are given when a media interface is responsive to the user’s actions.

Navigability: Refers to gratifications that allow user movement through a medium.

(Sullivan).

Streaming services offer an example of today's culture. For similar rates, many streaming services can deliver the similar content but individuals have different choices and preferences. The textbook also describes two forms of audience. The first is ritualized or passive which is the habitual use of media in order to consume time or be diverted from other activities. The second is instrumental or active which involves searching for a specific type of message content and seeking out informational material in a purposive way.

It is possible to draw an example of this from education. Most students come to school simply to go through the motions. They do not raise questions about the data they are studying and accept everything they are told. This notion of being expected to conform to discourse can also be applied to media audiences. School is a little different because each curriculum gives a different discourse and pushes different ideologies. However, this does mean if you do not adhere to a particular way of thinking, it can be expressed in your grades. Social media use is another case. In a ritualized way, I use social media. I check it every morning, night and several times during the day. I send various posts to friends proving that the consumption is not only habitual but addictive. These sites and Apps are built to create short and exciting content so that even with a small attention span, the consumer is left wanting more.

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Week 5

At the beginning of today’s lecture Professor Good discussed how she read an article or study that the overall mental health of individuals has improved throughout the pandemic. At first I questioned this, thinking that mine was still on the decline but it is easy to see how and why there have been improvements. Even though we have been limited to outside activities, the opportunity to still be creative, get some extra rest and focus on personal goals has never been so present. If you think about it, there will never really be another time in our lives again with this much spare time. Not only having more time for personal growth, but there has also been more time to become audiences of various new platforms and forms of media. This is why I can understand that with the addition of increased rest, the upward trend of mental health is something positive to come out of this pandemic. This then lead us to discuss how Television ratings and views have increased. I am not surprised by this either as even though we have many streaming platforms, there are still many demographics that enjoy satellite. I am lucky enough to be working at my local arena right now and I talk to many seniors daily who come to use the walking track. The Saturday before lecture, I was talking to a couple and they were mentioning how much they have been enjoying watching Television programs together. Besides finding this very cute, it proves that there is still a market for satellite. Not only seniors, but individuals in general like mentioned above, have the time and are taking advantage. I also have taken my fair share of days on the couch with the Hallmark channel on during quarantine.

Finally, we looked at an article mentioning the rental of a movie theatre with rates starting at $99. This made me wonder just how much money people are willing to spend to participate in an activity that was so simple pre-pandemic. The experience of going to a theatre, watching a new movie, sitting in the comfortable chairs and eating too much popcorn is an experience that many didn’t realize they would miss until it was gone, myself included. In regard to audiences, many love the movie theatre because of the audience experience. Watching a movie on the big screen with surround sound and with the anticipation after the new trailers is such a well-known and loved audience experience. With the pandemic here, movie lovers still were able to watch but only from the comfort of their homes. With things opening up, who will pay the money to be a part of the audience again. Even though going to the movies always hasn’t been the cheapest night out, with these guidelines it makes It close to the price of going to a concert. How long will it be like this and audiences will have to continually adapt.

All three of the examples above take a look at the topics discussed in this week’s article and chapter reading which are about media ratings and target markets. In order to further understand consumer information and the development of audience ratings, we read how the Nielsen family started as an inventory auditing service for retailers. The systems would assess market performance that was publicly available and used by stakeholders. Ratings were just included as an extension of the marketing process at the beginning. With industry players only looking to use one supplier, the creation of new Radio and Television measurement tools helped bring success for the Nielsen family. One of the needs recognized during this time was that “advertisers sought to quantify audiences in order to assure the success of their advertising efforts” (Buzzard, 2015). This proving that there were many layers and aspects of the technological developments introduced at that time. As someone who always is the first to look up ratings, especially for movies, I found this article an important article to help understand not only where it all began but also help understand the topics discussed in lecture and by Sullivan.

Like the Nielsen family, Walmart also works to turn information into profit and prides it’s success by predicting consumer behaviour. Not only are there advanced mechanisms in place to predict and measure thoughts, attitudes and behaviours, but these tools are used by institutions to further their own personal growth. This is why in lecture we discussed the arguments of why audiences can be seen as outcomes rather than agents. The power held is described as the political economy of communication and is known to strike a conversation of how and it can be detrimental to consumers. This makes us wonder how much and what type of information they really are collecting from us. Even though we might think that after we get home from the workplace we are granted autonomy and privacy, is that really the case? Not only institutions but mass media as well is always collecting data.

Ratings from these mass media sources are used as numbers and data to understand what is working and what is not. As mentioned in lecture, these ratings are able to extrapolate data bringing up the question of if our “choices” are really our own or just what we choose to view because of the options formed from what each target market likes? Not only this, but even when we are being entertained by the media, we are still labouring and participating in being a part of data collection. This turns each individual into data. Brock University as an example will now work to collect updated and even more data on students, classes and habits now that we have moved to online learning. The final arguments of whether these ratings and marketing is making us and the planet unhappy really brings light to the capitalist society that we live in. The continual increase of our capitalist society not only proves the increase of data collection but how we are outcomes of it.

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Week 4

Individuals have had an increase in the power of opinions in audiences as time as gone by. When I think about public opinion my mind wanders into various forms of media such as movies and specifically music. Most are quickly to judge an artist based on public opinion rather than their actual music and talent. Last year I got invited to a concert that I assumed I would not like just based on not preferring that type of music and hearing word about the artist. As it turns out I really enjoyed not only the show but the music proving that the public opinion may not always be the same and there are many variables that go into creating an overall opinion. Like discussed by Sullivan, Plato wanted the public to make decisions but did not trust the wisdom of these decisions to contribute to a “morally sound state”. The difference between popular opinion and knowledge is pondered in lecture. To me this proves that the popular opinion may not always be the right opinion or the truthful opinion. Fast forward to the 18th Century we see the ability to come together to critique and sharing ideas which form the beginning of democracy. Democracy has to do with those accepting that someone has a say in who rules them and it is important to measure public opinion in relation to democracy. It is easy for the people of power to say something, but how do we really know if it is true. We discussed propaganda in relation to the topic of democracy as well as the 2016 election. Most thought Hilary would win, but she did not and the public opinion took a very large shift during this time.

The theory of agenda-setting explains the capacity of the news media to impact the importance of subjects on the public agenda. That is, the viewer would view the topic as more relevant if a news storey is covered regularly. In reality, the mass media just shows the public what it sees as a serious issue. Printing or transmitting news would then take away the capacity of the public to think for itself.

The notion of human beings slowly perceiving a profound fear of solitude is a central concept in Noelle-Neumann's spiral of silence theory. When their ideologies do not adhere to the mainstream, humans have been found not to use their inherent freedom of speech. This becomes true in any situation in which a person may be in. There have been many times where I have disagreed with a decision made but choose to walk away or agree and isolate myself to remain out of conflict. It is not always a wise thing to stick to the spiral of silence principle, but it is easier for people to do so in certain circumstances than to burn bridges.

I found the Kornfield study very interesting as I personally would not disclose such personal information online even if I believed an audience or even my audience could make me feel better. The main purpose of the study was to survey those going through a break-up and observe how writing for an online audience would make them feel. The variables included were perceived shared experiences and anticipated interactivity. I agree that there is a better chance of those being able to respond more emotionally if it shared with others going through the same situation rather than just the public. I have been in a past relationships where my partner would overshare to co-workers. Though this isn’t the exact same as the study, I know I personally only share stories like these in person and to very few people. The idea of me writing it for an online audience much like discussing with co-workers makes me feel uneasy.

The last term Sullivan covers is Bandwagon Effect which occurs when “individuals hear news reports of opinion polls that differ from their own opinion, which causes them to shift their outlook to match the majority opinion” (Sullivan, 71). This concept can be applied to the current election in the United States. Most believe that the options of Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both hopeless. This left much of the younger generation speaking out about not wanting to vote because they would rather not vote than have to choose between the two options. As time has passed and the debates have occurred, we see many who claimed to not be voting are now “settling for Biden”. As this started to surface online, most saw this as an opportunity to still use their voices and come together so at least the better option of the two is chosen. Though I feel and would like to think that this matches the majority opinion, we will find out soon enough.

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Week 3

There are a lot of pros about social media. It connects you with people who you might never meet, provides you with mindless and endless entertainment and it is a place to express your opinions. However, it is also a place for others to quickly hate and judge, especially those with millions of followers like celebrities. There is no surprise as to why some choose to take a break or even leave online platforms. The effects of the online comments made are just as powerful as the platforms themselves. We see many celebrities like Lizzo who are able to see the power the negativity holds and move away from it. Like discussed last week, we do care about the effects of media because we care about the stories and who is telling them. Media effects also influence culture which is a very important in today’s society.

In the highlights video we watched an advertisement on what it means to be Canadian. This short commercial gives an idea of how we are effected by what we consume. As a Canadian we are able to resonate with what is being shown and feel a sense of unity by the end. This is an example of a story told with positive media effects due to smart marketing and a story of coming together. On the other hand, we can see how there may not always be positive effects and that the media discussing world events can cause more impactful effects. With the recent Black Lives Matter movement, there has been a mix of media on the subject. All media has been to shed light on the situation but the content itself is not easy to watch and will effect individuals. At the end of the day, each topic is important but it is even more important that we recognize who is telling the story and that the story is heard. This example helps to explain how our brains have evolved to pay more attention today rather than in the past. We have so many more thoughts rather than just the internalization of staying alive that we are also faster to be effected because of this.

 There is an internal connection between the media, the viewer and the broad social structure, according to the dependency theory. The audience is limited to learning about everyday life, so they can use the media to get more data to satisfy their needs. Based relationships in the audience are created by extensive media usage. Media may also build based relationships with target audiences to accomplish their objectives by using their power. This can be applied to the early danger of films. As mentioned in lecture, it is not always clear what the content is going to be before receiving it. You may know you are about to watch a scary movie but you haven’t experienced what it fully entails yet. These early movies and other forms of media end up causing concerns of the implications of common access and large consumption. This leading to a media or moral panic with the research showing the emotional impacts. I believe that this concept is still somewhat relevant when discussing media concepts as movies still do have the power to cause moral panic. Each person may have different reasonings, but I know after watching films like “Hereditary” or “Midsommar” I was left with internal thoughts that kept in my mind for longer than I would have guessed.

Looking at these long-term consequences, we can also speak about the principle of cultivation. Cultivation theorists claim that watching television can have long-term consequences that influence the viewer gradually. Their primary emphasis is on the results of watching instead of the generated behaviour in the viewer's attitudes. Heavy TV audiences are believed to cultivate behaviours that seem to assume that the environment generated by TV is an accurate reflection of the real environment. The discussion of long-term effects reminded me of the documentary “The Great Hack”. The film is both concise and detailed as a primer on the controversy that dominated headlines around the world for two years after the election of President Donald Trump. It starts as news breaks that, in an attempt to elect Trump and pass the Brexit resolution, Cambridge Analytica unethically scraped data from millions of Facebook users and used it to manipulate naive and impressionable voters. It monitors the fallout then. This documentary relates to various topics discussed in the course, especially in previous weeks when we talked about who is collecting our data online. However, when looking at long term media effects we can see how long unfortunately this went on without being surfaced and how it will continue to effect society for years to come. This scandal confirmed the collection and use of data to sway the election and is something that users who know about it will see as a threat and be weary in the future when discussing politics online.

Finally, post-war communication research has shown that, even though the public liked the media, it was difficult to convince people through mass media, it does not mean that they would take action on what the message of the media is. As a consequence of this discovery, selective and two step flow of communication theories developed. In the present era, these ideas continue to be a subject of debate with issues such as video games discussed at the end of the chapter.

[audiencestudies-things]

Week 2

During Week Two we focused on what makes something an audience and what does not. A very basic view might see the audience merely as a group of people who are receiving the same message at the same time, whether it be a musical performance or a Television show. However as mentioned in lecture, the breadth of communicative options these days quickly exposes the problems with such a simple definition. If one person records a show on Television, another downloads the show off of a torrent, another watches it when it is first broadcast on “free-to-air” Television, and another buys the DVD, are they collectively still an audience? Even though they are all receiving the same text, it includes different modes as well as different times. I personally believe that audiences can be thought of as cultural constructs and as responses to particular media or texts. They can be defined in terms of location, by population demographics, by medium or channel, by message content and even by time of transmission or reception. As such a broad term with the ability to be applied to so many different parts of society, it is clear how and why the study of audiences is so important.

In the news, we discussed the App TikTok with its connection to Donald Trump and American Politics. I found this discussion interesting as the growth of TikTok has created a sub-section of audiences who have been very vocal about their political opinions. This short video clip App quickly had users expressing their views on the current situation in the United States and the audiences who saw this were able to hear and educate themselves. This is particularly interesting as the main demographic of TikTok includes younger generations proving how there has been a rise in the overall power of an audience. Those creators and users watching TikTok were able to send a message of importance that ended up reaching so many people due to the size of the platform. Yes, there are other media platforms where views and opinions of our world and societies are discussed but the reach and ability for younger audiences to express these opinions with such strength is an important thing to note. This is important because the power of audiences and powerful audience members are something Livingstone touches upon. Those using the TikTok platform to voice opinions on the election would be described as powerful audience members. Looking at the bigger picture, the government asks society to vote in order to support the economy. These users are using the platform to answer and share their experiences of being a member of the society as well as speaking out on issues such as inequality.

When looking at how audiences have changed throughout history it is interesting to discuss the new ways media and entertainment is viewed compared to many years ago with the early adoption of audiences. In lecture we discussed four important themes relevant to changes that included size, danger, Sullivan’s “trilogy” and power. Chapter One goes into detail on the beginnings and importance of oral communication to small unmediated audiences. “A premium was placed on the skills necessary to accurately and efficiently transfer information from one individual to the next” (Sullivan, 32). This transfer of information was not only important for the way of life, but it was also a form of sharing stories. I believe that story telling and the sitting around a campfire concept is still one of the ways to be the most active as an audience and is a type of audience that is still present today. With the growth and introduction of very mediated audiences as well as the increase of technology, the closeness and intimacy of audiences has had the opportunity to get lost. The simplicity of still being able to share stories face-to-face with real time reactions and long discussions is what audiences were built upon. Some of my favourite moments with my family include sitting around the dinner table after dinner is finished, sipping Brandy and listening to my grandparents and uncles tell stories about their lives. These moments have not only taught me life lessons but have showed that audiences today can still mean small but meaningful interactions like these.

This past summer I took the Grandeur of Rome class offered at Brock. Many of the concepts in the course were discussed in Chapter One by Sullivan in regard to audiences after the time of oral communication. These included discussions of class and who was seated where during theatre performances as well as the various festivals and violence that occurred. In class, we had to choose characters and mine was a free-born Roman woman named Curia who spent her time going to the theatre and being part of an audience. The danger to audiences then to what we consider now has changed greatly and even though there were distractions, comments and violence that came with the performances, the idea of danger today is more powerful. As Professor Good mentioned, the danger shifted from the risk of crowds to the risk of content. Today there is unlimited access to what we can see, hear, learn and find online. Not only this, but no one is really afraid to make their personal information public creating an even bigger danger. The overall expectations of media mediums such as music and movies have shifted and the increase in powerful technology has made it easier to not only access information but have yours tainted.

Finally as a society we are becoming more aware and part of audiences earlier in life. I was recently listening to a podcast where a father discusses his life, career and family. He mentioned how he was watching Shrek with his toddler and during the movie there was a joke mentioning how Snow White “sleeps around” with seven men. At first I thought about the danger of that joke to young audiences but also how it most likely slips past their minds. On other hand, I considered how this could be implemented as a joke intended for the adult audience watching. Though this is a very minimal danger, it leads back to how and why knowing your audience is important.

[audiencestudies-things]

Audience Studies 3P18

First blog post