1.3.3

Audiences

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Audiences

Audiences will interpret representations differently, depending on their background and prior experiences or understanding of the subject being represented.

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Demographics

  • Factors that can affect the way an audience understand representations can be referred to as their demographics:
    • Gender, age, ethnicity and social class.
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Audience interpretations

  • Because people are made up of so many different variables, it is impossible to predict that all audience members will understand representations in the same way.
  • If an audience is unfamiliar with the subject matter, they are more likely to adopt the views and opinions that are embedded into the representation without questioning them.
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The filter bubble effect

  • If an audience member consumes their media from the same sources repeatedly e.g. the same TV channel, same newspaper etc, it creates a filter bubble effect.
  • This means audience members will only be exposed to one, repeated viewpoint over and over again and it will increase the chances of them adopting the viewpoint included in the representation as their own.
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Agenda setting

  • The process of mediation involves embedding viewpoints and values into representation, which can contribute to a term known as agenda setting.
  • Agenda setting refers to the intended planting of ideas or values within representations, to help persuade or encourage an audience to adopt them.
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The power of the media

  • Because of the natural selection and combination that occurs through mediation, agenda setting is almost impossible to avoid.
  • This is why the media is seen to have huge influence over its audience and the shaping of societies beliefs and values.

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