In the workshop today we spoke about how the audience is influenced by the mass media, and in particular how influential media theories are in effecting the behaviours and attitudes of the audience.

I touched on the Montana Meth Project when I was invited up the front to discuss my finding for ‘audience’. The Montana Meth Project (2005) is a great example of the cultivation theory which is an effects model of media influence.

The cultivation theory establishes that media does not have instantaneous effects on audiences but over time begins to influence the audiences’ views. The media cultivates attitudes throughout their programming, reinforcing the attitudes that are being presented.

The media’s long term effects are gradual, indirect, cumulative, but the effects are more significant depending on how much the person consumes the media; the audiences opinion will most likely mirror these the media portrays.

The Montana Meth Project (2005) was a project consisting of a series of graphic ads made with the aim of tackling the methamphetamine problem in Montana (2005)(USA). The graphic ads came in the form of tv ads, billboards, print, radio, with the aim of deterring teens from using meth. In 2009, meth use had declined by 63% amongst teens and ranked the 3rd most effective philanthropy in the world (2010), also adult meth use declined by 72% showing the effectiveness of the campaign, bringing down the meth use numbers in Montana.