Audience Theory- The Effects Model and Hypodermic Model

There are three theories of audience that we can apply to help us come to a better understanding about the relationship between texts and audience:

• The Effects Model or Hypodermic Model
• The Uses and Gratifications Model

The Effects Model

This is where the consumption of media texts has an effect or influence upon the audience. It is normally considered that this effect is negative. Audiences are passive and powerless to prevent the influence, the power lies with the message of the text.

The Hypodermic Model

Here the messages in media texts are injected into the audience by the powerful syringe-like media. The audience is powerless to resist, therefore the media works like a drug and the audience is drugged, addicted, doped or duped.

Key Evidence

The Frankfurt School theorised in the 20's and 30's that the mass media acted to resist and control audiences to the benefit of corporate capitalism and governments.