Audience Theory

Every media form has a target audience which is a group of people seen as the people who should watch/read the media form. In a text there is certain features which apply for just that target audience which is why its important for the correct content to be in for the implied target audience.

You also have to consider the appearance of the media form so that it relates for the target audience. For example, if the intended audience is for children, you would use bright colours and a lot of images. However, if the target audience are parents for a school magazine, it will have to be presented clearly and professionally.

This also includes social class depending on what sort of school the magazine is intended for. Whether it is a grammar school or a comprehensive school. Social class is divided into the following groups:



1: Higher managerial and professional
2: Middle Management
3: Office workers
4: Skilled manual workers
5: Unskilled workers
6: unemployed, unwaged









stereotypes are often used when identifying a target audience and a common example is gender. The difference between men and women with media forms can be determined by colour, life style and sometimes interests. For example, colours associated with women are pink, purples and red whereas colours associated with men would be blues and green.




Within the colour wheel there are colours which are neutral to men and women such as yellow, oranges, black and white. These colours are used when a media form has a wide target audience of both genders. An example of this would be a simple advertisement such as Heinz beans. Advertisements for new cars would be aimed at men on the other hand an advertisement for boots would be for women.

Although target audiences are applied, doesn't mean they are always followed. For example, I think my target audience for my school magazine will be more women because its a stereotype that mothers are more at home and will have the time to read a magazine. However this is not always the case as sometimes there are stay at home dads which will be in charge of finding out about there child's schooling.

To create a successful school magazine I will need to take this theory into considerations so that I complete my magazine to the correct standard for my target audience so that it looks as professional as possible.