Uses of Gratification Theory - Blumler and Katz (1974)

Blumler and Katz (1974) argued that an audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other consequences. The active audience make motivated choices.
Were motivated by the desire to fulfil, or gratify certain needs.
The model is broke down into four different needs:

Surveillance – based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them. The surveillance model is all about awareness. We use the mass media to be more aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security.

We can associate to the dominant messages of conforming via the dominant ideologies given in media texts such as music videos.

Personal identity – explains how being a subject of the media allows us to reaffirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society. Pop stars can often become big role models, inspiring children everywhere (which is why there is such a big outcry when one of them does something wrong.)

Personal relationships – Split in two parts, relationships with the media and using the media within relationships. We can form a relationship with the media, and use the media to form a relationship with others. The television is often quite an intimate experience, by watching the same people on a regular basis we can often feel very close to them, as if we know them. When characters in a soap die, those who have watched them a lot often grieve for the character from the bond.  

The media can help make real relationships. Talking to people about what’s happening in a TV show or a popular new music video is a good example. Maybe making things that much easier when talking to strangers, giving you something to talk about.

Diversion – The diversion need describes what’s commonly termed as escapism – watching television or any other form of media so that we can forget our own lives and problems for a  while to think about something else.

We watch music videos to take our minds off our everyday lives, or want to see our favourite artists experience the same things as us. A good example of this is the music video for Katy Perry’s: ‘The One That Got Away’ about a love story which provokes an emotional response from its audience, and could be relatable to.

My media product is a story of two friends,  a male and female who have fallen out, but then make up and are happy in the end. This is a form of diversion as individuals may aspire to end up like the couple in the video, or may have experienced the same things their selves.