There are a number of Media Studies theories out there and, depending on your target level or whether you're doing GCSE or A-Level, you may find some more helpful to know than others.
One of the key ones to know no matter what is the Uses and Gratifications Theory, UGT or Blumler & Katz, who came up with it.
Very simply, the theory asks why we consume media products - and unlike many other theories, it suggests that we actively seek out media in the hopes of having certain needs fulfilled.
As Media has developed, so has the theory. We are most interested in the contributions to the theory of Blumler and Katz (which is why you might hear it referred to by their names as shorthand instead, although this would be to discredit the work of other theorists who have contributed to it!) The theory makes several assumptions: 1) Audiences are active. They seek out media to fulfil their needs. Compare someone who feels lonely and actively puts on the TV to watch Friends to someone walking to the bus stop who then passively happens to encounter an advert at the shelter that they weren't looking for; 2) Audiences will take responsibility for that choice, choosing how, when and what they will consume rather than simply leaving themselves open to whatever media message happens to be put in front of them and accepting it; 3) Audiences will work out their own needs and tailor their media diet to match, seeking out the right products for them. The more choice you offer, therefore, the more likely you are to gain an audience. Equally, audiences will choose what they do with the media message, filtering out the bits that don't gratify them and accepting the bits that do; 4) On that note, media must compete with other sources of gratification. Not other media sources, but other activities people would rather be doing than consuming the media!
This is important, as you may have also heard of the hypodermic needle theory. We're not going to do a whole post on it, but very simply it suggests that media is, in a sense, 'pumped into' us and we accept its message entirely. You may have noticed that UGT disagrees with this - and most media studies teachers these days would as well.
UGT also comprises four main parts, but, just as the theory has evolved, so have the labels for discussing those four parts. I've tried, where possible, to gather together the most common names. Try to use these in your exam.
Diversion/Escapism/Entertainment - one reason that we enjoy media so much is that it provides diversion and escape from the real world. If you remember Dyer's Utopian Theory, you'll know that real life really isn't all that exciting, whereas the experiences we can have through media can make us forget, even if only for a little while, about real life, its problems and worries.
You have studied a variety of media that fulfil this need. Magazines allow us to see into the glitzier, more glamorous lives of celebrities. Advertisements allow us to imagine that purchasing a product or service could make us like the people in the poster, while films are one of the strongest media forms for providing escapism, letting us imagine that we too could be like James Bond (at GCSE) or Sophia Loren (at A-Level).
TV comedies create a world where the rules are very different from our own, where everything is exciting, funny and fluid, while conversely, radio dramas like The Archers provide an insight into a different, more dramatic world when compared to our own. In music videos, celebrities create alter egos with singing and dancing capabilities we could only dream of and games like Fortnite (GCSE) or Assassin's Creed (A-Level) allow us to roleplay and have adventures not possible in the real world.
Personal Relationships/Social Interaction - this has two strands. The first is about how consuming media gives us a real world talking point. Being clued up on the latest TV show, film in the series or video game all give us something to speak about with authority when we next see friends and colleagues. Thanks to social media, we don't even need to wait until then! Many media have entire communities and fandoms that have sprung up around them, giving rise to all manner of new, real-world relationships. Equally, some media even actively invites audience participation, such as audience phone-ins, telephone voting and hashtags to use on social media.
The second strand is about forming relationships with the characters portrayed in our chosen media. We feel this most strongly of all in films and characters like James Bond who, despite being fictional, is regarded as a national treasure. The characters of sitcoms (especially Friends) are incredibly relatable, and we genuinely mourn the loss of the time with those characters at the ends of the series.
Within the music videos, there is some interesting crossover. On the one hand, musicians create alter egos and personalities that might change with each album or phase of their lives (Taylor Swift is an especially good example of this). On the one hand, we relate to these characters (though they are just that) but on the other, musicians engage more than ever with their fanbases. Social media makes this process even easier than it has ever been before.
Surveillance/Information & Education - we can only be in one place at a time. The Media is our window to 'what's going on in the world' and allows us to keep track of, be informed of and learn more about developments all over the world. It should go without saying that magazines and especially newspapers gratify this need best of all. Print advertisements give us insight into what products we can spend our hard-earned money on while films can tell us more about ways of life or experiences we could never hope to undergo ourselves.
Sitcoms similarly allow us to view situations and setups of which we would not ordinarily be part, while through music videos we can learn more about our favourite stars and see their lives, careers, styles and artistic directions as they develop.
Personal Identity - there is some overlap here between this and Social Interaction insofar as we may empathise and form links with the characters or figures portrayed in our media. Personal identity takes it one step further, however: it is one thing, for example, to relate to the character of Rachel in Friends, but quite another to emulate her fashion choices (as legions of female fans attempted to do in the 90s!) Magazines can heavily shape our personal identity as we try to copy the bodies, fashion sense and lifestyle choices of our favourite celebrities. Newspapers, now more than ever, attempt to shape our political stances and worldview. After watching films such as those from the James Bond series, there may be ways in which we try to model ourselves after our favourite heroes. I would argue, though, that no single form of print media does more to tap into our sense of personal identity than advertisements, which use all manner of clever methods to make owning their product seem like a vital part of our sense of self and, ultimately, our existence.
We may allow any of the sitcom characters or music stars to influence our own identities. I've already mentioned how Rachel Greene's wardrobe turned the character into a 90s fashion icon, but even 25 years after Friends first aired, people pick up the affectations, catchphrases and mannerisms of all six of the main characters. If you've ever said 'how you doin'?' in a New York accent or 'could I be any more __________?' then you are channeling Joey and Chandler respectively. Equally, we might find elements of Roy, Jen or Moss' characters appealing to adopt into our own lives (have you ever asked someone if they've tried turning it off and on again?), not to mention the styles of our favourite musicians from the videos.