Active and Passive Audience Definition, Theory, Differences & Examples. Difference between an active and passive audience. Example of Active and Passive Audiences. Finally, what is the Active and Passive Audience Theory?
Table of Contents
- Active and Passive Audience.
- Example of Active and Passive Audiences.
- What is the difference between an active and passive audience?
- What is the Active Audience Theory?
Active and Passive Audience
What is an active audience?
Active audiences: Active audiences are those people who receive media information actively as well as make sense of the messages based on their social and personal contexts. They listen to the media messages rather than hearing them only. However, active audiences receive media information actively but the act of receiving media information is unintentional. So, active audiences pay full attention to receive information and interpret them to give feedback.
Example of Active Audience
For example, people are the active audience who comment on social media content to express opinions.
Another example, based on the story shared in the example of the active and passive audience below, Ela is an active audience who scrutinizes the message before accepting them.
Characteristic of Active audiences
Actively involved in listening to give an opinion therefore they are a complicated and critical thinker. Additionally, they have good schemata.
What is a passive audience?
Passive Audience: Passive Audiences are those people who watch and observe the media information without making sense. Hence, they are recognized as inactive receivers. Passive audiences have low motivation to process information, low ability to process information, and focuses on simple cues (e.g., appearances instead of content)
Example of Active Audience
For example, People who are active in social media but do not like to comment on social media content.
Another example, based on the story shared in the example of the active and passive audience below, Bela is a passive audience who accepts the message without challenging them.
Characteristics of Passive audiences
The Passive audience is inactively involved in hearing something rather than listening. Passive audiences merely observe the message therefore, they are cognitive misers who are lazy to think.
Examples of active and passive audiences
For example, Ela and Bela are siblings who are watching the news on television. At the same time, the news reporter is providing tips on how to stay healthy. Ela tries to listen to the news reporter’s tips actively to follow them. She asks her sister Bela to be confirmed that do these tips really work or not? In contrast, Bela accepts those tips easily. Here, Ela is an active audience who is a critical thinker. Therefore, she focuses on the news presenter’s dress, speaking style, as well as the meaning of messages carefully.
On the other hand, Bela watches the news without focusing on the content of the message. Here, Bela is a passive audience who is a cognitive miser. Therefore, she does not focus on interpreting the message rather she only focuses on the news reporter’s appearance inactively. She believes the news reporter’s tips easily and becomes manipulated.
Difference between an active and passive audience
2. What is the difference between an active and passive audience?
| Active Audiences | Passive Audiences |
| Interpret and respond to the media texts | In contrast, merely observe the media text. |
| Actively involved with decoding message | On the other hand, just accept the message without challenging |
| Forming opinions | Accepting opinions |
| Paying full attention | Paying little attention |
| For example, Ela scrutinizes messages received from the news reporter rather than accepts them directly. | For example, Bela accepts messages received from the news reporter without scrutinizing them. |
| Not directly affected by the message | Directly affected by the message |
| Difficult to manipulate them | Easy to manipulate them |
| Critical thinker | Cognitive miser |
| Have good schemata | Lazy to think |
| Involve in listening | Involve in hearing |
5. What are the Active Audience Theories?
Active audience theory explains that active media audiences do not just accept media information inactively rather they interpret the message based on their personal and social contexts.
The active audience theories are the Hypodermic needle model of communication, the Encoding/decoding model of communication, the Uses and gratifications theory, the Two-step flow theory, and so on.
The hypodermic needle model proposes that the targeted and intended information are directly received and completely accepted by the audience or receiver.
The encoding/decoding model of communication represents that media information is created, distributed, and also interpreted through a theoretical approach.
Uses and gratifications theory shows a strategic approach to explaining how and why people or audiences actively find specific media to meet specific needs. UGT also represents an audience-centered strategy to perceive the process of mass communication.
The two-step flow of communication model argues that audiences accept information and believe media information more if the message is delivered by the opinion leaders. So, the audience gets influenced by mass media if the opinion leader supports the information.
