Audience Theory

Hypodermic needle theory: This theory suggests that the media's message is bullet fired from the 'media gun' into the viewers head. It suggests that the media injects its message straight into the passive audience, who are then instantly affected by this message. The public essentially cannot escape from the medias influence and is concidered a 'sitting duck'. This suggests that the public is vunerable to the messages shot at them because of the limited communication tolls and the studies of the media's effect on the masses at the time. I could use this in my magazine, by presenting my own or other opinions as facts, therefore my reader will be more pursuaded to believe the information i am showing them. 

Uses and gratifications theory: This is an approach to understanding mass media and mass communication. The theory discusses how users proactively search for media that will not only meet a given need but enhance knowlage, social interactions and diversion. It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible  for choosing media to meet their needs. The approach suggests that people use the media to fulfil specific gratifications. This theory would then imply that the media compete against other information sources for viewers gratification. I can use this in my magazine by putting in real life stories about the public and opinions on things, that my reader can relate to or agree/ disagree with. 

Two step flow theory: The two step flow theory says that most people form their opinions based on the opinion leaders that infuence the media. Opinion leadersare those initially exposed to specific media content, interpret based on their own opinion and then begin to infiltrate these opinions through the general public who then become 'opinion followers'. These 'opinion leaders' gain their influence through more elite media as opposed to mainstream mass media. I can use this technique in my magazine by adding a pop star to my double page spread, it would be a girl because her actions and fashion will influence my audience beacuse they could be an icon to my readers and they may want to be more like them, for example their fashion or how they act and personallity.

Audience reception theory: A basic acceptance of the meaning of a specific text tends to occur when a group of readers have a shared cultural background and interpret the text in similar ways. It is likely that the less shared heritage a reader has with the artist, the less the person will be able to recognise the artists intended meaning, and it follows that if two readers have vastly different culteral and personal experiences, their reading of a text will vary. I am able to encorporate this into my magazine because i am designing it for a target audience of girls my age, therefore i will already have shared views and decisions with my reader