AUDIENCE

• Identify the importance in defining a target audience for media producers

• Show the differences between a mass audience and a niche audience; a target audience and an actual audience

AUDIENCE

One of the most important concepts within Media Studies is that of audience.

Every media text is made with a view to pleasing

an audience in some way. Success is measured

by the audiencesresponse to a media text

and those that do not attract and maintainan audience do not

survive.

At the heart of this is the fact that all media texts are

created in order to make money

TARGET AUDIENCE

• The Mass/Mainstream Audience• Some media texts attempt to appeal to a broad range of

people. Although difficult to achieve, this is an ideal way to create very large audiences and, therefore, maximise the potential for success and ultimately profit. This group, consisting of males and females, young and old and a wide range of social groups is often called the mainstream or mass audience.

If a media text is deemed successful it needs to attempt to ensure it offers appropriate pleasures (gratifications) its audience. Each media text will be

targeted towards a specific group and the way it is constructed will be carefully considered in light of who the target audience is.

• What types of shows are broadcast?

• The channel broadcast a selection of current affairs, comedy, soap and drama programmes.

• Who is the target audience?• Whilst each programme may not be

to everyone’s taste, it is clear that the programmes could appeal to a range of different types of people: young and old, male and female and a range of different interests are being catered for.

• This is typical of a mainstream, mass audience broadcaster.

Compare the BBC lisitings with these from the same evening for ITV

1. Even though the programming is slightly different, what are the similarities?

2. Consider the topics chosen for the current affairs programming. How do they identify the fact that both channels are attempting to attract a mass audience?

3. Look at the listings for other TV channels. Can you identify and differences in the target audience for these channels?

4. Why do you suppose programmes between 7pm and 11pm were chosen for this activity?

MAINSTREAM AUDIENCE

• BBC 1 and ITV are in direct competition with each other for the mass audience. This audience is very lucrative but there is a distinct possibility that this large audience will be split between the mainstream broadcasters.

NICHE AUDIENCE• The mass audience is not the

only one that can make a lot of money for media producers. Some media texts are created with a specific sub-section of the audience in mind - a niche audience. Whilst a niche audience is likely to be smaller in number than a mass audience, appealing to a specific group can be profitable.

NICHE AUDIENCE

1. What Niche channels can you think of? Who is the target audience?

2. What niche programmes can you think of? What could be advertised during these programmes?

TARGET AUDIENCE • It is important for media producers to recognise and identify

who their target audience is. It is the knowledge of who the audience is assumed to be that enables media producers to make specific choices about how to construct their media texts. This knowledge will help them decide on what content to include and how to present the content.

THINKING ABOUT COURSEWORK…

When you create your film openings you are required to

provide target audience information and explain how your production appeals to your target

audience

IDENTIFYING THE TARGET AUDIENCE

• The following are some of the things you can consider when looking at a media text which will help you determine who the target audience are:

• the subject matter – who is it assumed to interest? who does it focus on and from whose point of view are ideas presented?

• advertising – who would be interested in the products advertised close to or within the text?

• TV/radio scheduling – who is assumed to be watching when the• programme is broadcast? • the certification of a film (The British Board of Film Classifications)• media language choices – e.g. is the soundtrack appealing to a specific group?

does the layout and design or camera work and editing remind you of other media texts which have a specific target audience?

The primary aim for any media producer is to create a text which successfully identifies what it is that the target audience want and then to present it to them in

a way that ensures they will return again.

TARGET AUDIENCE VS. ACTUAL AUDIENCE

• Even though media producers may have a specific audience in mind when creating a media text, this is not to say that only those people targeted will access these texts. Men are known to read women’s lifestyle magazines and women will watch Fifth Gear even though they may not be the target audience for these texts and are in the minority. The actual audience may end up being quite different to the intended target audience. THINKING ABOUT

COURSEWORK…For your film opening coursework

you might what to refer to a primary and a secondary audience

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Using the front cover of Bliss and the packaging for Sugar identify the aspects of the media language which are chosen in order to attract the target audience of teenage girls. Consider the celebrities chosen for the front page, the choice of colour and the lexis (words). Also, consider the content of the magazines

• – what assumptions are being made about teenage girls’ interests and aspirations?

DEFINING A TEENAGE GIRL

• Magazines such as Bliss and Sugar have a target audience of older teenage girls. The content of these magazines reflect this, in the fact that they focus on celebrity gossip, fashion and make-up and also on relationships and sex. At times the sexual content can be quite explicit and these magazines have been criticised in the past for having this type of content as it is understood that the actual audience are more likely to be in their low teens.