Audience Theory 2 Part 2

The news room
Two Step Flow
The media we watch has an effect on the information we get.
Information is filtered through the media to the point where the media will record what has happened and we only get the parts that the media finds relevant.For example, the news reports on a story and they only air the information they think is right.
Opinion leaders pass on their information to their less active associates.
The audience mediate information, ideas and thoughts received by opinion leaders thus being influenced by a two step process, not a direct process.
A limited effects paradigm is when a social factor limits the effects of the information the media presents.

The uses and Gratifications Model

The base functions of mass communication: surveillance, correlation, transmissions, entertainment,
Surveillance of the environment refers to the medias collection and distribution of information, for example the news tells you its cold so you wear a coat.
Correlation of parts of society refers to the medias interpretations and analytical activities. For example when a charity appears on television that tells you about environmental damage so you donate to save the environment. To convey messages on the outside world.
Transmissions are when the media transmits the social heritage or norms to the audience. For example watching downtown abbey would transmit the social hierarchy to the people watching. It transmits values telling the audience who people are through the connotations.
Entertainment is the ability entertain or amuse audiences, basically keep the viewers happy. For example cartoons are made to entertain young children for hours on end.\

Blumler and Katz five base assumptions.
1. The audience is active, the audience has goals in mind when looking to consume mediated information.
2. In mass communication audiences use their own initiative to a degree. We choose what we want to consume specifically, we don't sit by and watch whatever comes on.
3. The media competes with other activities in your life to keep your attention for as long as possible. The media tries to keep you from eating, sleeping, exercising, and even other forms of media.
4. Many of the goals of mass media use can be derived from data supplied by individual audience members themselves.
5. A value judgement on mass media products is null as there are others who would disagree with those judgements, if you don't like something then you should at least try to understand why others would consume those forms of media.