Uses and Gratifications

• What did Blumer and Katz suggest about the media?

  That people use it to met their needs as the audience actively chooses what media to experience, using free will and the remote control. Everyone chooses for themselves so each person media diet is unique
• What did McQuail study?

  Studied soap opera audiences
• What soap operas did McQuail study?

  He looked at how audiences used coronation street to fulfil a need for social companionship
• How did soap operas fulfil a need for social companionship according to McQuail?

  Many of the audiences felt part of the characters lives and felt interest and concern for what would happen next in the storyline
• What did Lull look at?

  He listed the social uses of TV in the UK and found that men, women, young and old used the TV to fulfil different needs
• What theory is uses and gratifications?

  It is a functionalist theory because it says that the media exists to serve the needs of the public