Key Concepts- Audience- Candice Tyson

Why is 'Audience' important?

• All media texts are made and produced with an audience in mind. This means that the text aimed at a particular audience will be understood and the audience can then make sense out of it. 

How is media received by audiences?

• Media can be received through a number of ways. For example, newspaper or magazine, DVD, television, radio or internet. Media has expanded so much that now days you can also receive media through your mobile device, an example of this is you can read a newspaper or magazine straight from your phone. Smartphones and electronic devices such as tablets mean you can download apps that allow you to store and receive media messages.

Who is the audience?

• Media text works like this- a product is produced and an audience receives it.
• For television producers to do their job they need an audience to aim their product at, so they can finance they're programmes and make additional programmes that the audience will like. 
• Advertisers need an audience who will see or hear their media and then buy the product in result of this.

How is media text planned with an audience in mind?

• Certain questions are asked such as- are they under the age of 25 or older? Mainly male or mainly female? What are the interests?
• The audience varies depending on the time of day. For example, you wouldn't have a children's programme aimed at toddlers showing at ten a'clock at night. 
• A media producer has to know who the potential audience is and also know as much as possible about them. 

Examples of different media texts and their audiences-

• The sun newspaper- aimed at skilled working class/working class, manual workers on the lowest levels of pay. 

• CBBC- aimed at primary school children aged 6-12 years.

• TalkSport Radio Station- aimed at men aged 20-40 interested in sport.