Uses and Gratifications Theory: Specific Media for Specific Needs
Uses and Gratifications Theory
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Uses and Gratifications Theory
Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) according to West and Turner (2007) is a mechanism of getting to know the reason and how individuals keenly look for specific media to meet their particular needs. As opposed to other media theory that seeks to understand what the media do to individuals, UGT seeks to understand what individuals do with media. UGT as argued by McQuail (2010) is an audience-centered means of getting to understand mass communication. The main conceptual and question with UGT is that why do individuals utilize media and what do these individuals use media for. According to Davenport, LaRose and Straubhaar (2010), UGT tries to clarify the uses and roles of the media for persons, group, and the general public. In developing the UGT, three objectives are outlined. The first regards outlining how one utilizes the mass media to gratify his or her needs. The second objective seeks to find out motives for ones’ media use. The third objective is to outline the advantages as well as the disadvantages for individual use of media communication. The key underlying assumption with the UGT is the fact that audience members keenly look for the mass media in order to satisfy personal needs. Among other assumptions include the fact that audiences are active and their media usage is goal oriented. The urge in connecting the necessity for gratification to a particular medium selection depends on the audience member. It is also an assumption that the media and other mass media resources compete for need gratification (West & Turner, 2007). UGT assumes that individuals have adequate self-understanding of their media objectives, utilization, and interests, and that they have the ability to demonstrate an exact representation of that use. Finally, it is assumed that it is only the media audiences that can value
Student’s Name
Course/Number
Institution
Date
Instructor Name
Uses and Gratifications Theory
Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) according to West and Turner (2007) is a mechanism of getting to know the reason and how individuals keenly look for specific media to meet their particular needs. As opposed to other media theory that seeks to understand what the media do to individuals, UGT seeks to understand what individuals do with media. UGT as argued by McQuail (2010) is an audience-centered means of getting to understand mass communication. The main conceptual and question with UGT is that why do individuals utilize media and what do these individuals use media for. According to Davenport, LaRose and Straubhaar (2010), UGT tries to clarify the uses and roles of the media for persons, group, and the general public. In developing the UGT, three objectives are outlined. The first regards outlining how one utilizes the mass media to gratify his or her needs. The second objective seeks to find out motives for ones’ media use. The third objective is to outline the advantages as well as the disadvantages for individual use of media communication. The key underlying assumption with the UGT is the fact that audience members keenly look for the mass media in order to satisfy personal needs. Among other assumptions include the fact that audiences are active and their media usage is goal oriented. The urge in connecting the necessity for gratification to a particular medium selection depends on the audience member. It is also an assumption that the media and other mass media resources compete for need gratification (West & Turner, 2007). UGT assumes that individuals have adequate self-understanding of their media objectives, utilization, and interests, and that they have the ability to demonstrate an exact representation of that use. Finally, it is assumed that it is only the media audiences that can value
References: Davenport, L., LaRose, R. & Straubhaar, J. (2010). Media Now - Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. Boston: Cengage Learning. West, R. & Turner, L. (2007). Introducing Communication Theory. McGraw Hill. McQuail, D. (2010). Mass communication theory: An Introduction. London: Sage Publications.