Agenda Setting

Throughout the current Canadian federal election campaign the political candidates have been spreading their messages of change as well as sometimes putting down one another in order to appear as the best person for the job of Prime Minister. Thus the notion of the agenda setting theory has never been more relevant than when describing politics in the media. The agenda setting theory proposes that the media can pick and choose what they release to the public. In addition, the media can fulfill their priorities even if the priorities of the general public differ. Hence, the political leaders frame themselves and their competitors in particular ways by using certain pictures, tones, and information. This framing is important for voters to pick up on and investigate further as the political campaigns only depict part of the facts, manipulate them, or emit certain ones altogether to make themselves look better or their opponent look worse. For example, the Conservative party commercial attached below portrays Justin Trudeau as not being ready, but that's not what caught my attention. What I noticed is that the people in this commercial talk about the Liberal party cancelling income splitting and there is a comment snuck in there that may lead more senior voters to worry about what will happen to them if the Liberal party comes into power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c86-9HitWg0

However, I am not the only one who has caught on to the Conservative's manipulation of the truth, but rather the Liberal party has formed an ad that may put those senior voters more at ease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoTsne3QxM8

Realistically, politics will be a part of Canada's future forever, but it is up to Canadians to be critical of those in power and to do their own research into who and what they are supporting instead of relying on the media to inform them since we know that the media has their own agenda to fulfill.

Effects of Media

There is no doubt that in today's society, we are continually bombarded with media content whether it be in the form of advertisements, television shows, video games, or radio broadcasts. Thus, it is not surprising that there is a significant amount of theories and research looking at how media affects the audiences consuming it. For instance, cultivation theory suggests that since we are spending so much time in front of the television, our day to day concept of reality is affected. In other words, what we watch on television can influence our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. An example of this is dietainment which is the current craze on many media platforms that looks at body image, working out, and dieting. The implications of dietainment is that many children may develop eating disorders and have low self-esteem because there is a very particular 'ideal' body type portrayed for both men and women in the media. In addition, the child's reality becomes distorted as they only see these certain body types as being acceptable in society. However, it is important to note that not all effects of media are negative and that some support equality, the development of healthy eating habits, positive body image, and positive outlooks on life in general.

This link is to the dietainment commercial by Cheerios that I find is important to look at since dietainment is becoming more prevalent and is not just affecting girls, but boys as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcvFlUZ_LGA

Defining Audiences

I would define an audience as a group of people who come together either to a physical or virtual space, to view or listen to a presentation anywhere in the world. The presentation can include things such as a concert, sporting event, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, a play, an art show, etc. I chose to define audiences using this definition because it understands that audiences can use different mediums of media technology to come together and that they are part of a larger and more diverse group of individuals who happen to share certain interests. This definition works for me because I believe that audience dynamics have changed over time partially due to technological advancements, and that it is important to include this new type of virtual audience into the study of audiences. Also, with technology at people's finger tips, it opens a new realm of being a part of two audiences at one time.

Why I Care About Audiences

At this point, you may be wondering why I care about audiences. The answer is simple really; it’s because we are all a part of audiences in one capacity or another, and being part of an audience tends to come with certain roles and responsibilities depending on what the context that audience is in. Also, the fact that we as humans are social beings, makes sense as to why audiences and the media outlets they use to express themselves exist in the first place. In addition, I find the question of why people do things and engage in certain things fascinating and by looking at audiences, I can see general views and perspectives from varying types of audiences as to why they choose to participate. So, by studying audiences more in depth, I hope to gain a better understanding of why people choose to participate in certain audiences over others, to discuss whether individuals truly understand that they indeed belong to a much larger, potentially even global audience and what that even means to belong to such a large audience.

Audiences in the News

Although many of us identify as belonging to varying audiences based on our own likes and dislikes, we don't always realize that we are a part of a much larger collective group of individuals that partake in an event or social activity. Thus, many research analysts aim to study why people engage in certain audience behaviours and practices. In addition, the news media sometimes also discusses audiences and often uses the opposing views of audiences creating a supportive environment or how destructive audiences can be.

If you follow the link below, you will find a brief article pleasantly describing performers recognizing that they too are part of audience at the My Favorite Bands Festival and that often times the lines between the audience and the performers can be blurred. I find this article relevant when discussing audience studies because we often forget that even the most famous of people are part of the same audiences that we are. Also, that depending on the atmosphere, the performers can seem like part of the audience, making it a more intimate and personable experience for everyone. Hence, when performers such as musicians are more interactive with their audience, I believe that the viewers enjoy the presentation more and are able to perceive the artist on a more personal level. 

http://www.greeleytribune.com/entertainment/18202438-113/my-favorite-bands-festival-brings-seventh-year-of#

On the other hand, as previously mentioned, the news focuses also on how audiences can be intentionally or unintentionally destructive especially in large groups. For instance, in the article below, people who went to Boots and Hearts 2015 left large amounts of garbage behind that locals hope doesn't wreck the local wildlife.

http://www.orilliapacket.com/2015/08/10/concerns-and-complaints-after-festival

Audiences Then and Now

When I think of how audiences were back then, I think of how my grandparents used to watch musicians play music in the town square or local café. That audiences back then weren't always formally organized, but that it depended on where you were at the time and what your preferences were. Yes there were organized sporting events or plays put on in neighbouring villages, but many people couldn't always afford to travel or they had too many responsibilities at home and therefore had no time to attend. However when my parents were growing up, they experienced slightly more leisure time than my grandparents, which enabled them to spend more time with their friends going to movies and concerts. Also, my parents enjoyed playing sports and so not only were they part of audiences watching other sporting events, they were also at times the ones being watched by various audiences. This gives you a slightly different experience of the audience because you are viewing the audience as they are viewing you. So depending on the performer, some people feed off of the audiences' energy in order to perform better and they see the audience as a supportive fan base. Since being a performer myself whether as an athlete or as a singer, I have found that audiences enjoy being captivated by something and that if they become bored or disinterested they will leave a performance or dive into a different audience altogether. What I mean by this is that in today's society, we don't necessarily need to physically leave a place in order to become a part of a different audience, but that we can do this virtually through the technology that many people have at their fingertips. Whether you log onto Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you then become part of that audience as well. Thus, being part of an audience doesn't always entail going to a physical venue, and instead those who may not otherwise be geographically connected, are now part of a collective virtual audience.