The audience motivations they were able to identify helped lay the groundwork for their research in 1972 and eventually uses and gratifications theory. My main focus will be on the contribution to audience research of katz s key articles on media theory and. Diversion a media text which provides escapism for the audience, for example a holiday program. Blumler and katz uses and gratifications theory these catagories are. This article describes a cognitive theory of motivation, expectancyvalue theory. Uses and gratifications model theory blumer and katz 1974. Media outlets compete with other sources ofgratification, and media cannot satisfy all human needs 2 blumler, jay g. Understanding uses and gratifications its playing, just. The role of theory in uses and gratifications studies sage journals.
This theory has been used extensively to study media audience and explore the uses of media to gratify needs vivian,2006. Uses and gratifications theory posits a few basic assumptions. It was thought that this did not require the active use of the brain. Blumler 1979 proposed that cognitive motivation facili tated information gain and that diversion or escape motivation facilitated audience perceptions of the accuracy of social portrayals in entertainment programming. The audience is assumed to be an active user ofmass media 2. Our as psychological thriller film opening, anyone home supported katz and blumlers theory in that it falls under the category of entertainment.
Different types of media compete against each other and against other sources of gratification for viewers attention. Katz, blumler, and gurevitch 1974 material drawn from. A descriptive phase in the 1940s and 1950s, an operationalization phase in the 1960s, and an explanatory phase seeking to connect communication processes with audience motives and expectations in the 1970s. Nowadays, the appearance of computermediated communication has brought about the significance of uses and gratifications. Blumler and elihu katz devised their uses and gratifications model to highlight four areas of gratification in media texts for audiences. Katz, blumler, and gurevitch synthesized that ugts approach was focused.
People have various uses needs they seek to satisfy through media. The audience is active and its media use is goal oriented. This is the integration and social interaction theory which is. The uses and gratifications theory has beendebated as to its accuracy and relevance in evaluating an audiencesutilization ofmass media. Jul 26, 2015 the uses and gratifications theory was proposed by blumer and katz, and consists of four main points. This theory has been used extensively to study media audience and explore the uses of. The role of theory in uses and gratifications studies. The theory was first developed in research on the effectiveness of the radio in the 1940s.
The uses and gratifications theory discusses how uses choose media that will satisfy given needs and allow one to enhance knowledge, relaxation, prezi. Audience theory with egs and quotes free download as powerpoint presentation. Applying the uses and gratifications theory to compare higher. Sage business cases real world cases at your fingertips. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Blumler and katz 1974 uses and gratifications theory. Uses and gratifications theory ugttheory is an approach to understanding why and how.
The members of the audience are seen as couch potatoes just sitting there consuming media texts particularly commercial television programmes. Apr 19, 2019 today, the theory is often credited to jay blumler and elihu katzs work in 1974. Throughout his career, katz has developed several middle range theories, each. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Information personal identity integration and social interaction entertainment why do people use media and what do they use them for. It suggests messages from the media move in two distinct ways. Many aspects of katzs work merit an article to themselves, both because of the diversity of his interests and because his key ideas have each generated considerable bodies of work. Uses and gratification theory communication notebook. It takes a brief look at uses and gratifications theory with a few small examples.
Active audiences the uses and gratifications theory the audience has a set of needs blumler and katz 1975. Uses and gratifications theory katz, blumler and gurevitch pioneered the uses and gratification theory in 1974. This theory was contemporary because it contradicted older views that assumed the audience was a passive group. Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century thomas e. Uses and gratifications theory ugttheory is an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. Distinguished uses and gratification approach theorists katz, blumler and gurevitch pointed out five basic assumptions of the theory. The utg offers a sound theoretical framework for studying the use of erp systems and was successfully used to modern technologies such as. This is meant as a beginning guide for media studies students. As media technologies continue to proliferate, research on uses and gratifications theory is more important than ever for understanding peoples motivations for choosing media and the gratifications they get out of it.
Current perspectives on gratifications research sage series in communication research 1 by jay g. The uses and gratifications approach views the audience as active, meaning that they actively seek out specific media and content to achieve certain results or gratifications that satisfy their personal needs. Rather, the audience has power over their media consumption and assumes an. Mencher 2003 further posits that the audience is a crucial factor in deciding upon content. Blumler and katz uses and gratifications theory by. The theory places more focus on the consumer, or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking what people do with media rather than what media does to people katz, 1959. Uses and gratifications theory psychology wiki fandom. But according to mcquail 2010, the theory could be traced from the early 1940s when researchers started investigating why people listen to popular radio programmes and why they read newspapers daily. Blumler, and michael gurevitch i nterest in the gratifications that media provide their audiences goes back to the beginning of empirical mass communication research. Applying the uses and gratifications theory to compare. Exploring the uses and gratifications theory in the use of. Apr 26, 2014 this is the last in the audience theory series. Drawing from uses and gratifications theory and differential impact hypothesis. Current perspectives on gratifications research and focuses its attention on media users roles.
Cq press your definitive resource for politics, policy and people. Peruse blumler and katz 1974 in this spirit, and you will find that uses. The theory discusses how users proactively search for media that will not only meet a given need but enhance knowledge, social interactions and diversion. Sage video bringing teaching, learning and research to life.
The audience accepts and believes all messages in any media text that they receive. Today, the theory is often credited to jay blumler and elihu katzs work in 1974. Implications for study, methodological and ideological issues, and future research directions are also presented. Audience theory david gauntlett and blumler and katz by. The uses and gratifications theory essay 1656 words.
Uses and gratifications theory and its connection to public relations. Applying the uses and gratifications theory to compare higher education students. Katz and blumler describe the concept as, the social and psychological origins of needs which generate expectations of the mass media and other sources which lead to differential patterns of media exposure or engagement in other activities resulting in needs gratifications and other consequences. Uses and gratifications theory as developed by bulmer and katz suggests that media users play an active role in choosing and using the media. If you are a media studies teacher or students and would like me to. Blumler and katz uses and gratifications theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication. The role of theory in uses and gratifications studies show all authors. The uses and gratifications theory discusses how uses choose media that will satisfy given needs and allow one to enhance knowledge, relaxation. Uses and gratifications theory ugt is an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. A brief explanation of uses and gratification theory a key theoretical perspective for media studies students. Heuristic approach of ugt katz, blumler, and gurevitch synthesized that ugts. The uses and gratifications theory has beendebated as to its accuracy and relevance in evaluating an audience sutilization ofmass media.
Jan 11, 2018 the theory was introduced by blumler and katz in 1974 in the article the uses of mass communications. The role of theory in uses and gratifications studies jay g. Ugt is an audiencecentered approach to understanding mass communication. Sage reference the complete guide for your research journey. A socialcognitive approach to uses and gratifications pdf. My main focus will be on the contribution to audience research of katzs key articles on media theory and. Katz and lazarsfeld assumes a slightly more active audience. In this article, i argue just the opposite, and any. This emphasis on audience activity gratifications, however, may be rooted in the outdated notion that communication theories are deficient. Katz, blumler and gurevitch pioneered the uses and gratification. Pdf uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Such studies were well represented in the lazarsfeldstanton collections 1942, 1944, 1949. Uses and gratifications model theory blumer and katz 1974 this model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of the audience.
The uses and gratifications theory essay 1656 words bartleby. The audience takes an active role in selecting a medium, as well as interpreting it and integrating it into their lives. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Mainly, it focuses on the explanations for audience members motivations and associated behaviors. First, individuals who are opinion leaders, receive messages from the media and pass on their own interpretations, in addition to the actual media content. The culmination of a decade of fruitful research on a new way of looking at mass communication effects, one that links the uses and gratifications approach with content analysis, audience research, social and media criticism, and literature on popular culture. Blumler and katz, specifically, name these stages in the historical development of uses and gratifications research. Bulmer and katz believed that the user seeks out the media source that best fulfils their needs.
Audiences feel the different emotions such as tension and relief throughout the opening, this therefore diverting audiences from their own problems. Uses and gratifications theory communication studies. Uses and gratifications theory alevel media studies. Although the uses and gratifications approach lacks a single general theory, it is not inherently atheoretical, and the author suggests how progress can be made in dealing with four conceptual issues facing this tradition. We are concerned here with explaining the usesandgratifications. Sage books the ultimate social sciences digital library. Uses and gratification theory ugt is an audiencecentered approach that focuses on what people do with media, as opposed to what media does to people. This theory suggests that the audience is powerless towards resisting the impact of the message which. Although the uses and gratifications approach lacks a single general theory. Each audience member must discern which medium will best gratify his or her needs for a given use 3.
Uses and gratifications theory blumer and katz a2 level. Blumler, elihu katz, american journal of sociology 81, no. Exploring the uses and gratifications theory in the use of social. Value judgements of media content can only be assessed by the audience. A look inside the uses and gratifications theory of katz. Many aspects of katz s work merit an article to themselves, both because of the diversity of his interests and because his key ideas have each generated considerable bodies of work.
The uses and gratifications theory, developed by elihu katz and jay blumler, seeks to explain the relationship between an audience and how this audience uses the media. The uses and gratifications theory was proposed by blumer and katz, and consists of four main points. Audience theory david gauntlett and blumler and katz blumler and katz theory the theory focuses on communication at mass media scale. In 1972 denis mcquail, jay blumler and joseph brown suggested that the uses of different types of media could be grouped into 4 categories.
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