Media Audiences
You will need to consider:
- how media producers target, attract, reach, address and potentially construct audiences
- how media industries target audiences through the content and appeal of media products and through the ways in which they are marketed, distributed and circulated
- how audiences interpret the media, including how they may interpret the same media in different ways
- how media organisations reflect the different needs of mass and specialised audiences, including through targeting
- how audiences use media in different ways, reflecting demographic factors as well as aspects of identity and cultural capital
- the role and significance of specialised audiences, including niche and fan, to the media
- the way in which different audience interpretations reflect social, cultural and historical circumstances
Theoretical approaches
Reception theory Stuart Hall- Encoding & decoding, preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings
Task: How does ‘The Bridge’ target audiences? Who is the audience for The Bridge? Think about age, gender and social class, lifestyle and taste. Justify your response
- Primary Target Audience – fans of Nordic noir –more alternative/niche audience. ABC1 (subtitles and BBC Four slot)
- Secondary audience – more mainstream fans of crime texts 15+ (TV slot post-watershed).
How does the text itself target audiences? Consider genre, narrative, star and character, representations, intertextuality
- Cross-gender appeal– female audiences may identify with Saga (role model) – aspiration.
- Male audiences may identify with her partners (e.g. Henrik)
- Experiencers may enjoy the vicarious thrill of crime drama narratives.
- May interest those interested in Scandinavian culture.
- Inherited fan bases – from e.g. ‘The Killing’, ‘Borgen’, ‘Wallander’
How does the marketing target audiences?
- Scheduling, social media, posters & trailers
- TV slot post-watershed
- subtitles and BBC Four slot
Who are the different audiences and how are they targeted?
- Primary Target Audience – fans of Nordic noir –more alternative/niche audience. ABC1 (subtitles and BBC Four slot)
- Secondary audience – more mainstream fans of crime texts 15+ (TV slot post-watershed).
- Cross-gender appeal– female audiences may identify with Saga (role model) – aspiration. Male audiences may identify with her partners (e.g. Henrik)
- Experiencers may enjoy the vicarious thrill of crime drama narratives.
- May interest those interested in Scandinavian culture.
- Inherited fan bases – from e.g. ‘The Killing’, ‘Borgen’, ‘Wallander’
How do Audiences respond to ‘The Bridge’?
Audience response:
- Series 3 – Generally around 1.3-1.8 M viewers with Series 1 around 1M and Series 2 similarly around 1.4M
- Imdb 8.6/10 from 33,259 responses, with very similar gender split.
- Sample User Review of Series 1 – Exciting “new touch” on the often typical genre 9/10 Author: pompousmodesty from Finland 5 October 2011
- ‘So far (episode 3) “Bron” provides all the classic criminal genre elements with a modern and smart touch. The characters and actors fit their roles well (albeit being caricatures of the genre). I especially enjoy the humorous and feminist take on Saga Norén’s character. For me all these little stylistic touches just add to the enjoyment. And the plot elements fit an interconnected Scandinavian/ European reality without seeming overdone or simplified. I’d say this is one of the most exciting
crime dramas of the decade, even since its function is not intended to be a long-running series with one main protagonist. I like the “issues” approach of “Bron” more than the classic European detective drama we’ve seen so far in the 2000s’
Look at the coverage of “The Bridge” by The Guardian. What are the different responses to “The Bridge”?
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/the-bridge
- The central mysteries were similarly difficult to stomach
- took the cliched route of putting Saga and Henrik in a relationship
- The final scene saw her fling her detective badge from the eponymous support structure in a gesture that was coded as triumphant, but which made little sense for a character who had always found hope and meaning in her job. It was the final nail in the coffin for viewers’ hopes that The Bridge might return to form.
- God I’m going to miss her, and The Bridge.
- The Bridge: season four review- ultra violent, bracing but still brilliant.
Audience Task: What pleasures might audiences gain from ‘The
Bridge’?
- Audience expectations of genre – pleasure in seeing expectations fulfilled (Neale)
- Pleasure of intellectual puzzle – enigma codes and cliffhangers attract one-off and loyal fans
- Reality – creates audience empathy and identification (U & G)
- Escapism – diversion as audiences enter another world/country, heightened by subtitles
- Star/character identification and unusual representations – of women, of sexual orientation, of disability – Saga is potentially Aspergers /autistic spectrum disorder
- Moral messages – reinforces ideologies but also challenges these
- Safety/Catharsis
- Voyeurism, scopophilia
- Social needs fulfilled – media and social media buzz. Water-cooler effect.
- BBC Four/subtitled – has element of “highbrow” viewing which creates a sense of exclusivity
Audience Positioning : How does the text position audiences?
- Positioned with Saga & the restricted narrative means that we only know what she knows. We therefore seek answers to narrative enigma codes (as defined by Barthes) as Saga does – what is going on?
- We solve the mystery alongside her and become part of the team. This fulfils the audience’s need for belonging or social needs within Blumler & Katz’ Uses & Gratifications model.
- Positioned to decode Saga as “different” (lack of social awareness, literal interpretations) but sympathetic and vulnerable – particularly through her backstory (sister) and her relationship with her mother.Positioned with Mathias – back after ten years in the Met – to see Aberystwyth and its people as ‘different’, or ‘stranger’, more elemental than ‘civilised’.
- Positioned with the forces of law & order to see certain criminal behaviours as deviant.
Readings – Stuart Hall
Look at the reviews by Mark Lawson, Clive James and Tom Leins
Extended writing task:
Write a paragraph on each of the following questions
1. What is the preferred meaning of ‘the Bridge’?
The Nordic Noir is a thrilling and exciting Scandinavian cop-show, showcasing brilliant direction and elaborate crime scenes. The character of Saga appeals for her quirks and blunt persona. It is a classy cop-show that has a depth to it with a complex multi stranded story line.
2. How is this encoded?
The show does not only follow the typical conventions of a cop-show, but also manages to weave in LGBT issues and womens empowerment, this gives texture to the show. The character of Sage is shown to be socially awkward and not fully accepted in society due to her lack of social skills, this would accumulate to make her beloved quirks for avid The bridge fans.
3. What other readings might this text generate? Give examples
The show has a clever plot and interesting characters, but for a hetero male viewer they may be put off with Saga’s social complex and struggle to use their imagination as Clive James stated “any hetero male viewer would think of it once”, showing that male audiences may find the lack of sex appeal difficult to watch and may not enjoy the show as much as they would is Saga was an explicitly sexualised character, rather than a socially empowered and awkward character.
- Preferred reading – a “quality” crime drama , driven by enigmas and a classic investigative narrative. Will be enjoyed by fans of Nordic noir in particular.
- Different readings – Remember to refer IN DETAIL to the text to support your ideas on readings –e.g. what do Saga/Henrik/Hanne do/say etc?
- An oppositional reading may struggle to find Saga a sympathetic character. Audiences may view her apparent autism with concern, or find it difficult to connect to her emotionally as her responses are so different to our expectation and she lacks humour.
- A more conservative audience may respond negatively to the Swedish liberal attitudes to sex, gender and political correctness.
Mark Lawson Review – negotiated reading
“‘The Bridge’ certainly continues the strengths of the genre: a clever plot that combines public concerns and private crises, a moody and ominous atmosphere and yet another central female role of the sort that British TV actresses are offered as rarely as salted herring in a British breakfast. To Sofie Gråbøl’s sweatered detective in ‘The Killing’ and Sidse Babette Knudsen’s sweating premier in ‘Borgen’, we can now add Sofia Helin as Saga, a Malmö cop whose non-sympathetic attitude to colleagues, witnesses and victims verges on Asperger’s.
Despite this, ‘The Bridge’ provides significant ammunition for those who argue that UK viewers and reviewers are indulgent towards series from the European snow zone in a way that they would never extend to home-grown shows.”
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and radio/tvandradioblog/2012/apr/18/scandinavian-tv-dramaoverrated
Clive James review
Clive James (Weekend, 6 August) tells us that:
“In The Bridge, the head girl Saga Norén (Sofia Helin) has a case of near-autistic something-orother which would make any hetero male viewer think twice about angling for a lift in her Porsche, although it’s probably true that any hetero male viewer would think of it once. At one point we see her having sex and she is under him, over him and off him in a matter of seconds, like the
Scandinavian version of the female black widow spider, the one that carries a textbook on how to form normal relationships”.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/aug/06/clive-james-adventures-box-sets-westwing-weeds
Preferred reading: Summarise Tom Leins’ response to “The Bridge”
http://www.devon-cornwall-film.co.uk/2016/01/06/sex-leins-videotape-205-tom-leins-reviewsthe-bridge-season-3-just-jim-transporter-refuelled-and-sinister-2/
The Bridge is the critically acclaimed Danish-Swedish co-production that has spawnned multiple re-makes across the world. The drama was set in motion back in 2011 when Sofia Helin first starred as the socially awkward Swedish detective Saga Noren, who is forced to work with her Danish counterpart, Martin Rohde, (Kim Bodnia) after the discovery of a dead body on the Oresund
Bridge, which connects the two countries.
In The Bridge – The complete Season Three (Arrow Films) Saga once again partners-up with a Danish officer – this time the equally troubled Henrik Sabroe (Thure Landhardt) – as they unravel a series of disturbing murders, each of which sees the killer arrange the bodies of well-known left-wing figures in increasingly sinister tableaux. The elaborate crime scenes are seemingly
designed to reinforce the ‘traditional’ family values that are percieved to be falling by the wayside in Scandinavia, and send shockwaves through the two countries. Meanwhile, Saga is also wading through the toxic fallout of the previous season, and battling against her own private demons.
Scandinavian cop-shows come and go, but The Bridge remains as exciting as it ever was. The issues brought to the fore by the killer’s actions feel dangerously contemporary, and the interplay between Saga and Henrik carries a real charge. Saga, as brought to life by Sofia Helin, is a tremendous creation, and the character’s appealing quirks appear undimmed by repeated viewings of the
show. Returning viewers can rest assured that the quality of the series is as high as ever – despite the change of personnel – but if you have yet to experience The Bridge’s unique charms, then you are in for a treat. This is a seriously classy cop-show.
Analyse the DVD cover (consider media language, genre, narrative, audience, industry).
- Desaturated colour palette, high contrast, low-key lighting – stylistically generic and creating enigmas.
- The team – with Saga as protagonist foregrounded. Low angled shot emphasises the power of the law.
- Spotlit crime scene – bizarre. Bridge dominates. Iconic costuming.
- Three lines represent Series 3 – continue earlier branding.
- Bilingual title reflects production context – co production.
- Scandinavian version – multilingual blurbs – international appeal.
- CU of foregrounded female protagonist on front with direct mode of address. Henrik in background looking troubled – stock characters of mismatched partners.
Task 2:
a) Apply Stuart Hall’s Reception theory to both Life on Mars and The Bridge. (15 min)
The Bridge:
- Preferred reading – a “quality” crime drama , driven by enigmas and a classic investigative narrative. Will be enjoyed by fans of Nordic noir in particular.
- Different readings – The show has a clever plot and interesting characters, but for a hetero male viewer they may be put off with Saga’s social complex and struggle to use their imagination as Clive James stated “any hetero male viewer would think of it once”, showing that male audiences may find the lack of sex appeal difficult to watch and may not enjoy the show as much as they would is Saga was an explicitly sexualised character, rather than a socially empowered and awkward character.
- An oppositional reading may struggle to find Saga a sympathetic character. Audiences may view her apparent autism with concern, or find it difficult to connect to her emotionally as her responses are so different to our expectation and she lacks humour.
Life on Mars:
- Preferred reading – a great cop-show, lots of theories of who did the crimes and the sci-fi idea of if Sam time travelled. Will be enjoyed by fans of the Sweeney and those with less PC thoughts.
- Different readings – The audience may enjoy the masculine leads and also the thrilling crime narrative, but could potentially not enjoy the complexity of the sci-fi narrative and the unknown enigma of if this is all just in Sams head.
- An oppositional reading- they do not enjoy the crime genre and find Sam a weak lead, as he is not as strong as Gene, but they find Gene too stereotypical and offensive, even if he is playing a period role.
b) Read and take notes on pages 182-3 (30 min)
Theory of Fandom: Henry Jenkins
- the idea that fans are active participants in the construction and circulation of textual meanings
- the idea that fans appropriate texts and read them in ways that are not fully authorised by media producers
- the idea that fans construct social and cultural identities through borrowing and inflecting mass culture images, and are part of a participatory culture that has a vital social dimension.
- Jenkins uses the term ‘textual poaching’ to describe the way in which texts can be appropriated by fans and adapted to suit their own purposes, According to Jenkins, ‘appropriation involves both accepting certain core premises in the original work and reworking others to accommodate our own interests.
- in some cases, textual poaching may be used to challenge the operation of heteronormativity in popular television products e.g. an image of Sam and Gene in an embrace, the sexual and romantic dimension in this image challenges the heteronormative models of masculinity that the original text appears to support.
- Fanfiction: stories or works of fiction that are based on existing films, television programmes or literary works, and which are produced by fans rather than the original creators of those products. Sometimes referred to as a fanfic.
- Media industries have had to embrace more participatory strategies in order to court and maintain relations with their fans.
c) Apply Henry Jenkins’ Fandom theory to both Life on Mars and The Bridge. (15 min)
Henry Jenkins’ Fandom theory suggests that the audience are active in viewing the media and they adapt it to suit their own interests. For Life on Mars, fans have challenged the heteronornativity of the characters and made fanart of the characters Sam and DCI Gene in a romantic relationship, this may have helped them to better understand the characters emotions or allowed them to relate to them in some way. In both the Bridge and Life on Mars, the audience are active with their reviews and media platforms. Twitter acts as a social media platform free for open discussions on the shows, the use of hashtags and trends helping fans to find each other on the platform. The interactions and openness of the viewers comments may have been unexpected from the producers initially, but with the rise of technology and social media this discussion has been made easier and more accessible for fans.
S & C:
| Read the examiner’s report
Reading the examiner’s report will help you understand what the examiners look for when awarding marks. It also highlights common misconceptions that students have about the topic and frequent mistakes. Being aware of this information will help you improve your exam technique. |
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