Applying audience theory to Q Magazine

Blumler and Kat’s ‘Uses and Gratifications Theory’ states that audiences are active in their media consumption and we choose media to fulfil one or more of the following: Identity, Education, Entertainment and/or Interaction.
Can you match up the uses with the definitions?

  • Entertainment
  • Interaction
  • Identity
  • Education
  • Media to be enjoyed, maybe as escapism, allowing you to forget about your worries or the mundanity of your own life for a short time
  • Providing a source of conversation between people, allowing people to socialise whilst discussing a media text.
  • Seeing the person as someone to identify with, a role model, someone with similar values as your own or someone to aspire to be like
  • A way to acquire more information about a topic, a way to seek knowledge or understand something more.

Applying audience theory to Q Magazine

Looking at the front cover of Q magazine, how can we apply Blumler and Kat’s ‘Uses and Gratifications model’ to explain how and why audiences engage with this text?
Using the key and the bottom of the page circle elements of the image and discuss your ideas.

Identity
Entertainment
Education
Integration
Discussion: Do you think different audience members interact with this text in different ways? Why/why not?

Applying audience theory to Q Magazine

Looking at the Q magazine’s website, how can we apply Blumler and Kat’s ‘Uses and Gratifications model’ to explain how and why audiences engage with this text?
Using the key and the bottom of the page circle elements of the image and discuss your ideas.

Identity
Entertainment
Education
Integration
Discussion: Do you think different audience members interact with this text in different ways? Why/why not?

Applying audience theory to Q Magazine

Look at this double-page spread (DPS) from Q magazine (April 2017). Then answer the questions below.

Identify one audience for this article.
Explain two ways in which this article is aimed at the audience you have identified.

Applying audience theory to Q Magazine

Browse the Q website and consider the Front Cover and DPS as supplied here, then answer the following as a longer writing task.
Explain why audiences read Q magazine. Refer to the Uses and Gratifications theory in your response.