CaseStudyEssay due 31/01/2011

Firstly the statement is true to some extent as the audiences have been “becoming increasingly powerful” for example they have been participating in the “media output” for example my primary text, America’s Next Top Model, on the social networking site Twitter Tyra Banks asked her followers to pitch an idea for the creative photo shoot; this is an example of User Generated Content using the e-media platform and interactivity between the institution and audience; as the audience have the power “in shaping the media output”. The audience have been contributing to the media which shows that the audience have power as they decide what will happen during the course of the show. In contrast to this, audiences are given the illusion that they have power. When looking back at my main text, America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks wanted her followers to pitch an idea for the creative photo shoot; but then Tyra Banks decided which pitch from the site would be aired on television. This is a clear example of audience input affecting the media output however this is because the institution is allowing the audience to have power; hence the audience is not “becoming increasingly powerful” as they play very little in “shaping media output”. The uses and gratification theory would apply to this as they focus on what the audience actually do and how they react to the “media output”.

Similarly the audiences are not “becoming increasingly powerful in shaping media output.” the audience have been restricted in the amount interaction between the audience and the institution for example when looking at my second text Janice Dickinson’s Modelling Agency there is not much audience input. On the official website of show audiences can only give the institution Oxygen feedback of the show; the rest of the power is given to the producer and presenter of the show Janice Dickinson. Although it is a reality show which mainly operates on television the show is not being aired on television there are recaps and games available on the website; this would create some form on interactivity between the audience and institution; this would also be a method of continuing the publicity of the show even when it is not broadcasted. This would link back to the hypodermic model audience theory as the show is giving people access to the show via the internet, which would connote that the audience are dependent on continuously watching and catching up on the show.

Likewise Janice Dickinson’s Modelling Agency we see that the audience is not “powerful” in my third text Make Me a Supermodel US, which again consists of the hypodermic model theory as audiences would watch the show on television and then an there is an advertisement promoting the website for the audience to post comments, play games, read the gossip and catch-up on the episodes. As the audiences have no input they cannot be described as “powerful” because they do not contribute in “shaping model output”. However during the show the audience are expected to have a form of identification with the contestants as the audience follow the presenters, Tyson Beckford and Nicki Taylor, on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter; this would create a form of interaction between the audience and institution and would make the audience feel as if they are involved when they are not.

In my opinion the audience are not “becoming increasingly powerful in shaping media output” as the institutions have restricted the power which audiences have as the audience have very little media input; the audience do not choose what parts of the texts are broadcasted on television and they do not have control over what the content that the institution put on the websites.