MS4 Intro and Audience revisited.

Learning Objective:

To familiarise with MS4 sample exam papers.

To note the texts we will study for MS4.

To revise the concept of audience and targeting.

What will students be required to do in the examination? 
Students will be required to answer three questions: one question (from a choice of two) from Section A and two questions (from a choice of four) from Section B. 

They will be required to select a different industry for each answer and to make reference in their answer to their three key texts. 

Section A will be based on the texts themselves and questions will be based on the areas of genre, narrative and representation. 
Section B will be based on industry and audience. 

the main texts you will study in relation to the Media Studies concepts are:

TV industry - Genre, narrative, representation (Texts)

• Luther
• Common
• Life on Mars

Music industry - Audiences

• Miley Cyrus
• Madness
• Nirvana

Advertising industry - Industry issues

• Dove
• Chanel (Coco Mademoiselle)
• Paddy Power

Task 1: Note these texts and relevant concepts in your orange books.

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In relation to Section B:
Prior to the exam you will study texts from the music industry with consideration given to:

• Audience targeting
• Audience debates
• Audience positioning
• Audience responses

(See handout on MS4)

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Example audience question:

B1. Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts. [30] 

This question invites candidates to discuss key elements of their chosen texts in relation to audiences. Some candidates may discuss uses and gratifications theory which is acceptable – but need to show clear understanding and coherent application. 

Depending on the texts selected points raised may include reference to:

 Genre – reinforcing or challenging typical conventions

 Narrative – plot, content

 Characters, starts, celebrities

 Audience positioning, preferred readings

 User involvement; interactivity

 Key codes – visual, written, audio etc.

 Familiarity or ‘new’

 Reviews, through its marketing.

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Audience Explained

'Audience' is a very important concept throughout media studies. All media texts are made with an audience in mind, ie a group of people who will receive it and make some sort of sense out of it. And generally, but not always, the producers make some money out of that audience. Therefore it is important to understand what happens when an audience "meets" a media text.

Constructing Audience

When a media text is being planned, perhaps the most important question the producers consider is "Does it have an audience?" If the answer to this is 'no', then there is no point in going any further. 
If no one is going to watch/read/play/buy the text, the producers aren't going to make any money or get their message across. 
Audience research is a major part of any media company's work. 
They use questionnaires, focus groups, and comparisons to existing media texts, and spend a great deal of time and money finding out if there is anyone out there who might be interested in their idea.

Media producers basically want to know the

income bracket/status
age
gender
race
and the location

of their potential audience, a method of categorising known as demographics. Once they know this they can begin to shape their text to appeal to a group with known reading/viewing/listening habits.

One common way of describing audiences is to use a letter code to show their income bracket:

A:     Top management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other highly salaried professionals
B:     Middle management, teachers, many 'creatives' eg graphic designers etc
C1:  Office supervisors, junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff etc
C2:  Skilled workers, tradespersons (white collar)
D:    Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers (blue collar)
E:    Unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers

These categories are defined by the NRS (National Readership Survey), they are defined by occupation.

They also consider very carefully how that audience might react to, or engage with, their text. The following are all factors in analysing or predicting this reaction.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT: This describes how an audience interacts with a media text. Different people react in different ways to the same text.

AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS: These are the advance ideas an audience may have about a text. This particularly applies to genre pieces. Don't forget that producers often play with or deliberately shatter audience expectations.

AUDIENCE FOREKNOWLEDGE: This is the definite information (rather than the vague expectations) which an audience brings to a media product.

AUDIENCE IDENTIFICATION: This is the way in which audiences feel themselves connected to a particular media text, in that they feel it directly expresses their attitude or lifestyle.

AUDIENCE PLACEMENT: This is the range of strategies media producers use to directly target a particular audience and make them feel that the media text is specially 'for them'.

AUDIENCE RESEARCH: Measuring an audience is very important to all media institutions. Research is done at all stages of production of a media text, and, once produced, audience will be continually monitored.

The following are some generic points candidates might make for each of the industries. This is not intended to be prescriptive. TELEVISION:  Narrative content and enigmas  Genre  Scheduling  Characters, actors, performers  Tone, style, presentational techniques  Access to website/ interactivity MUSIC:  Genre and music style  Performance  Videos, artwork etc.  Publicity  Attitude  Exposure  Websites, twitter, social networking sites ADVERTISING:  Structure – use of narrative etc.  Layout and design  Placement  Use of celebrity  Shock tactics  Music  Humour  Brand reinforcement Task 2: Note down in orange books the generic points for the Music industry above. ________________________________________________________ Audiences continued Learning Objectives: To understand the key concept of audience and the range of different audience theories. Task 1: Take notes during group discussion on audiences. Now go to the post on Miley Cyrus