Everyone consumes (and creates) media daily. Whether it is in the form of Entertainment, as a Social Interaction, through Personal Identity or receiving information. These four reasons were created as a theory by Blumler and Katz in 1975. This is called the “Uses and Gratification” of media. 

Informative media:  includes things such as News Reports (such as BBC News), Newspapers (e.g the Guernsey Press) and Radio Stations (including Radio 1 and Island FM). They should educate, give advice and inform people on past, present and upcoming events.

Personal Identity: should reinforce personal values and should explore one’s personality. Media included in this group should be things such as Social Media (including Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest), Music apps (such as Spotify) and Online shopping (including websites such as ASOS).

Integration and Social Interaction: should identify yourself with others and should form relationships through integration. Media included in this category should include social media (e.g Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram) and also TV series and shows. (including reality such as love island. This will create gossip with friends and family about the media.)

Entertainment: this media will act as an escape and an emotional release. It should fill your time with enjoyment. Media in this category will include Reality shows (e.g dance moms), Netflix, Social Media, Films, Magazines, etc.

Most types of media (especially successful pieces) will fit into multiple groups; not just the one. For example, Radio 1 is included in Entertainment, information and Social Interaction.

From looking at Blumler and Katz’s theory, I have realised that when creating my music magazine, it will not only need to be informative, but will need to fit into another category such as entertainment to make my piece of media successful.

Below shows a collage of how I use and create media. It also shows the categories (from Blumler and Katz’s theory) which the media fits into.