Theory

Audience chose to consumer different media text because they appeal to them. This could be because of the way they are marketed, advertised or recommended. Media texts are consumed by watching television, cinema, DVD, or Internet. They can also be consumed by the reading of newspapers and magazines. Once consumed, the audience will make an opinion of what was scene or read. They decide whether they like or dislike the text and then are free to recommend others. Media texts are also consumed to gain knowledge.

Audience Theory
There are three theories that we can apply to help us come to a better understanding about the relationship between texts and audience.
1. The Effects model or Hypodermic model
2. The use of Gratifications model
3. Reception theory

The Effects Model
1) The consumption of media texts has an effect or influence upon the audience
2) The effect is normally considered negative
3) The audience are passive and powerless to prevent these influences, the power lies with the massage of the text.

The Hypodermic Model
The messages in the media texts are injected into the audience by the powerful, syringe-like, media
1) The audience is therefore powerless to resist
2) The media works like a drug, the audience is the druggy, addicted, doped and duped.
3) The use of Gratifications Model

It is still unclear if there is any link between media texts and violence.
Many people watch but are not influenced. It is clear the theory is flawed in that many people do watch violent texts and appear not to be influenced.

The Bobo Doll experiment, this is a very controversial piece of research that apparently proved that children copy violent behaviour. It was conducted in 1961 by Albert Bandura. 88% of children imitated the violent behaviour they previously viewed. 8months later 40% of children reproduced the same violent behaviour. There are many problems with the experiment.



The effects model is still the dominant theory used by politicans, some parts of the media and some religious organisations in attributing violence to the consumption of media texts. Key examples cited as causing or being contributory factos are the film 'Childs Play3' in the murder of James Bulger in 1993, the game, 'Manhunt' in the murder of Stafa Pakeerah in 2004, the film 'Clockword Orange' in a number of rape and violent attacks in 1971, the film severance in the murder of Simon Everitt in 2006. In each case there was a media and political outery for the texts to be banned.