Blog work to be done by 16th Oct - Uses and Gratifications

Uses and Gratifications-

Instead of researching what the media do to the audience, this approach studies what the audience does with the media. This approach also takes account of people’s personalities and personal needs.  

Strengths: As the audience is seen as active, and reasonably intelligent, life experience is generally regarded as more influential than experiences of the media. The pleasures that the media offers the audience are not regarded as negative.

Weaknesses: Too much optimism about ‘power’ and ‘choices’ of an active audience can distract us from the power certain texts have, or the influence that media institutions and ownership may have on texts and understandings.