I NVEST I GATI NG AUDI ENCES: WHAT DO PEOPL E DO WI TH MEDI A?
About Audienc e
We define audience as consumers of all kind of media: TV, radio, press,
Internet…, considering the differences they have in the way of approaching each media
form.
We consider that the audience is active when it does not only receive
information but is involved with the media and reacts to its products (comment a TV
show, complain about a film´s end…).
Uses and Grat if ic ati ons Theory
The “uses and gratifications” theory states that the audiences approach media in
order to satisfy/gratify their personal or social needs. In addition, they make different
rational “uses” of it that could be explained. McQuail classifies in four the uses and
gratifications that people pursue:
• Surveillance: using media in order to satisfy their need of information about the
world. A way of doing this is by consuming current affairs (newspapers, news
bulletins…). This somehow transforms media into a “fourth state” responsible of
the insight and guidance of society. Nevertheless, it also works as an element of
discussion among people.
• Personal identity: refers to the way in which media play a part in defining us. It
can be through our preferences and tastes but also when approaching fictional
characters with who we can identify ourselves or not, or even wish to be like
them (what we could call “role models”).
• Personal relationships: we may use media in order to guide our way of acting in
personal situations. Also, knowledge of and consumption of particular types of
media may open the doors to us in terms of personal relationships.
• Diversion: we use media in order to relax, escape from our live, or just for
pleasure.
This theory approaches audiences as individuals engaging with media, rather
than a distant and amorphous construction of market or scientific research. Even though
it leaves space for the plurality of audiences´ interpretation, it has been criticised in
different aspects:
• Its individualism, which relies way too much on assumptions about the audience
member´s psychology and personality, lacking also of social and cultural
perspectives that might condition the categories previously mentioned.
• Its consumerist perspective of media use, only oriented to their aims or goals but
without making a critical reflexion of their uses and gratifications.
• Its lack of attention to the content other than in very broad terms.
It is an interesting approach to what do audiences with media, but has not
addressed multiple issues that we could consider worthy of investigation when talking
