In this week’s lecture and reading, we learnt about the concept of audiences and the set reading discussed audiences either being active or passive in regards to listening to the radio.
In Audiences, David Hendy discusses active and passive audiences, and one of Hendy’s main arguments is that there is a ‘constant debate over active and passive audiences’ (Hendy, 2000: 134) therefore we know that this debate is one which he will deliberate on as the chapter progresses.
Initially, Hendy’s stance appears to be that he agrees with the idea of an active audience. However, as he progresses, he finds criticisms that go against the active audience stating that radio ‘has many features […] genuinely passive’ (Hendy, 2000: 134) quoting theorists, such as Theodor Adorno, who believed that audiences are passive. Adorno was a Marxist theorist who, as learnt in the lectures, was left winged and believed that people are passive because of the media consumed.
Nevertheless, he investigates critiques that argue against the idea of passive audiences where he, in simplest terms, concludes those particular paragraphs critiquing active audiences, thus saying that in actual fact audiences are somewhat passive. His investigations, which go back and forth between arguments about active and passive audiences, reinforce his earlier statement about the concept being a constant debate. Consequently, he does this throughout the chapter before coming to the conclusion-and stating one of the other main arguments- that ‘We are […] neither a fully ‘active’, nor fully ‘passive’ audience for the medium’ of radio (Hendy, 2000: 145).
In ‘My Generation’ Identity and Consumption: Audiences, fans and social networks, Roy Shuker also touches on active and passive audiences, whilst discussing the general concept of identity but in relation to popular music as opposed to radio. Shuker argues that there are two factors of the consumption of popular music, one of them being the ‘role of music as cultural capital’ and how this is a ‘source of audience pleasure’ (Shuker, 2013: 161-2). He explains how to emphasize this is to prioritize ‘the personal and social uses people make of music in their lives’ and that this ‘stresses the active nature of media audiences, while […] at the same time, shaped by social conditions’ (Shuker, 2013: 162) therefore, like Hendy, this implies that Shuker also believes that audiences can neither be fully active or passive when it comes to the consumption of popular music.
Moreover, Shuker claims it is important to recognize ‘the tension between musical audiences as collective social groups and […] as individual consumers’ (Shuker, 2013: 163). This is different in regards to radio listeners which only perceive listeners as a general demographic and one may argue that it is difficult for a listener of the radio to be deemed an individual consumer as they are listening to radio programmes that have already been predetermined by the station.
To conclude, one may argue that the concept of active and passive audiences works one in the same for both radio and popular music- that we can neither be truly active and passive audiences. This is somewhat a true statement, as there will always be individuals that question who and what they listen to- hence falling under the category of active audiences and there will always be individuals who follow passively.
References
Hendy, D, (2000). 'Audiences'. In: (ed), Radio in the Global Age. 1st ed. UK: Polity Press. Pp 134-147
Shuker, R. (2013) ‘My Generation’ Identity and Consumption: Audiences, Fans and Social Networks. In: (ed) Understanding Popular Music Culture. 4th edn. Oxford: Routledge, pp 161- 172
In Audiences, David Hendy discusses active and passive audiences, and one of Hendy’s main arguments is that there is a ‘constant debate over active and passive audiences’ (Hendy, 2000: 134) therefore we know that this debate is one which he will deliberate on as the chapter progresses.
Initially, Hendy’s stance appears to be that he agrees with the idea of an active audience. However, as he progresses, he finds criticisms that go against the active audience stating that radio ‘has many features […] genuinely passive’ (Hendy, 2000: 134) quoting theorists, such as Theodor Adorno, who believed that audiences are passive. Adorno was a Marxist theorist who, as learnt in the lectures, was left winged and believed that people are passive because of the media consumed.
Nevertheless, he investigates critiques that argue against the idea of passive audiences where he, in simplest terms, concludes those particular paragraphs critiquing active audiences, thus saying that in actual fact audiences are somewhat passive. His investigations, which go back and forth between arguments about active and passive audiences, reinforce his earlier statement about the concept being a constant debate. Consequently, he does this throughout the chapter before coming to the conclusion-and stating one of the other main arguments- that ‘We are […] neither a fully ‘active’, nor fully ‘passive’ audience for the medium’ of radio (Hendy, 2000: 145).
In ‘My Generation’ Identity and Consumption: Audiences, fans and social networks, Roy Shuker also touches on active and passive audiences, whilst discussing the general concept of identity but in relation to popular music as opposed to radio. Shuker argues that there are two factors of the consumption of popular music, one of them being the ‘role of music as cultural capital’ and how this is a ‘source of audience pleasure’ (Shuker, 2013: 161-2). He explains how to emphasize this is to prioritize ‘the personal and social uses people make of music in their lives’ and that this ‘stresses the active nature of media audiences, while […] at the same time, shaped by social conditions’ (Shuker, 2013: 162) therefore, like Hendy, this implies that Shuker also believes that audiences can neither be fully active or passive when it comes to the consumption of popular music.
Moreover, Shuker claims it is important to recognize ‘the tension between musical audiences as collective social groups and […] as individual consumers’ (Shuker, 2013: 163). This is different in regards to radio listeners which only perceive listeners as a general demographic and one may argue that it is difficult for a listener of the radio to be deemed an individual consumer as they are listening to radio programmes that have already been predetermined by the station.
To conclude, one may argue that the concept of active and passive audiences works one in the same for both radio and popular music- that we can neither be truly active and passive audiences. This is somewhat a true statement, as there will always be individuals that question who and what they listen to- hence falling under the category of active audiences and there will always be individuals who follow passively.
References
Hendy, D, (2000). 'Audiences'. In: (ed), Radio in the Global Age. 1st ed. UK: Polity Press. Pp 134-147
Shuker, R. (2013) ‘My Generation’ Identity and Consumption: Audiences, Fans and Social Networks. In: (ed) Understanding Popular Music Culture. 4th edn. Oxford: Routledge, pp 161- 172