Research and Planning
On this particular page I will be placing together the numerous pieces of research that I will be conducing in result of my final product. The page will pin point what I aim to do and whether the ideas proposed are practical or not. The initial purpose behind this page will be that it will establish whether there is a niche for my chosen area of Grime & Rap.
The Audience Theory
The audience theory consists of 2 different theories conducted by 3 different theorists. The theories effectively explain how the planning process behind the magazine encourages individuals to purchase it. The main concept behind all of these theories is representation; this uses the idea of presenting stereotypes within the media to convince the audience in believing particular things that are being represented to the audience. The 2 main theories are ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’ and ‘Uses of Gratifications’ which is proposed by ‘Blumler and Katz’.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Each of us is motivated by needs. Our most basic needs are inborn, having evolved over tens of thousands of years. Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs helps to explain how these needs motivate us all.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs states that we must satisfy each need in turn, starting with the first, which deals with the most obvious needs for survival itself.
Only when the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied are we concerned with the higher order needs of influence and personal development.
Conversely, if the things that satisfy our lower order needs are swept away, we are no longer concerned about the maintenance of our higher order needs.
Maslow's original Hierarchy of Needs model was developed between 1943-1954, and first widely published in Motivation and Personality in 1954. At this time the Hierarchy of Needs model comprised five needs. This original version remains for most people the definitive Hierarchy of Needs.
Here are the 5 stages:
1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Self-Actualization needs - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
Uses and gratifications by Blumler and Katz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn9_0mTfT3Y
During the 1960s, as the first generation to grow up with television became grown ups, it became increasingly apparent to media theorists that audiences made choices about what they did when consuming texts. Far from being a passive mass, audiences were made up of individuals who actively consumed texts for different reasons and in different ways. In 1948 Lasswell suggested that media texts had the following functions for individuals and society:
· surveillance
· correlation
· entertainment
· cultural transmission
Researchers Blulmer and Katz expanded this theory and published their own in 1974, stating that individuals might choose and use a text for the following purposes (ie uses and gratifications):
· Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine.
· Personal Relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, eg) substituting soap operas for family life
· Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts
· Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living e.g.) weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains
Since then, the list of Uses and Gratifications has been extended, particularly as new media forms have come along (e.g. video games, the internet).
Application:
My final music magazine which I will be creating will appeal to the audience’s needs of self-actualisation as I will look to place artists who are high achievers on the front cover of my magazine which would then aim to motivate the audience to better themselves. Moreover, my magazine can be applied to Maslow’s love and belonging as Maslow stated that humans require a sense of belonging amongst their social groups and this can be acquired through my magazine as it will consist of the rap and grime genre which a lot of individuals will be able to relate to. Finally, Maslow’s audience theory of ‘Esteem’ can also be applied to my magazine as Maslow stated that the audience possesses the need for raising their self-esteem and this can be done through reading my magazine as the selected target audience will be reading about a diverse genre of music. If they are therefore able to relate to this and are able to see that other individuals are doing the things that they enjoy and are able to succeed from doing so; this will lift them up in terms of their esteem.
Furthermore, on my music magazine I will look to place a female on the front cover even though the majority of my target audience will be males. However, as the female on the front cover will be recognised and well known, the audience will overlook this and still continue to purchase this. This can then be applied to the uses and gratification theory with the concept that the audience picks and chooses the messages that suit them. The uses and gratifications theory can further be applied to my magazine as the audience may want to read my magazine in order for escapism and get away from life for a few moments while they are indulged into reading my magazine.
It is also noticeable that both of the theories link together. The ‘surveillance’ from the ‘uses and gratifications theory’ also applies to the ‘Self-actualisation’ from ‘Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’ as both allow the audience to acquire what they’re seeking for in terms of knowing what’s going on around them and also simply being able to attain personal growth. Furthermore, the ‘personal identity’ from the ‘uses and gratifications theory’ also applies to the ‘Esteem’ from ‘Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’. This can be seen as the audience will read the magazine to find a version of themselves in the text that they can relate to as well as looking to gain independence. Finally, surveillance can be said to relate to self-actualisation.
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