The uses and gratifications theory is based on an active audience, and states that users actively seek out media that meet their needs for new knowledge, social interaction, and diversion. Basically, the theory is that the media are actively selected to satisfy our needs. The theory focuses on the match between the gratifications we seek out through the media and the gratifications we actually obtain from the media. You may find examples and a full explanation of the theory here http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/mass/uses.htm if you’re interested. If a certain type of newspaper or new channel continuously gives one the gratifications of the type of news that they seek, the more likely it is for that user to return to once again seek gratification. Gratification can come in numerous forms such as information, entertainment, or a need for a specific emotion like fear or humor.
When discussing the uses and gratifications theory and how it relates to the BP Oil Spill, it is important to keep in mind the type of gratification that people went to the media for, and how they received gratification from those different types of media. Some people wanted information about the Oil Spill and how such a disaster could have happened. They wanted to know who was in charge of the oil rig when it exploded and if this accident could have been prevented. For awhile, there was very little about the oil spill as BP was trying to lessen the blow to their company. But after the oil kept spewing out into the Gulf of Mexico, people were becoming more and more anxious for answers and starting looking all over for the specific type of media that would give them a high level of gratification. Websites became a popular place to seek out gratification because television was not covering the oil spill as detailed as websites were at first. Some websites were based off of newspapers, like http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2010-06-09-1Aoilhowbad09_CV_N.htm , which is just an electronic version of their newspaper, and some were completely web based, like http://bpoilslick.blogspot.com/ which was made specifically because of the oil spill. People also were interested in seeing pictures of the spill. They went to sources of the media, mostly television and websites, to seek out real time photographs of what the oil rig looked like underwater. Videos were become more and more readily available every day, like this one here showing how the oil gushed out from the broken rig.
When discussing the uses and gratifications theory and how it relates to the BP Oil Spill, it is important to keep in mind the type of gratification that people went to the media for, and how they received gratification from those different types of media. Some people wanted information about the Oil Spill and how such a disaster could have happened. They wanted to know who was in charge of the oil rig when it exploded and if this accident could have been prevented. For awhile, there was very little about the oil spill as BP was trying to lessen the blow to their company. But after the oil kept spewing out into the Gulf of Mexico, people were becoming more and more anxious for answers and starting looking all over for the specific type of media that would give them a high level of gratification. Websites became a popular place to seek out gratification because television was not covering the oil spill as detailed as websites were at first. Some websites were based off of newspapers, like http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2010-06-09-1Aoilhowbad09_CV_N.htm , which is just an electronic version of their newspaper, and some were completely web based, like http://bpoilslick.blogspot.com/ which was made specifically because of the oil spill. People also were interested in seeing pictures of the spill. They went to sources of the media, mostly television and websites, to seek out real time photographs of what the oil rig looked like underwater. Videos were become more and more readily available every day, like this one here showing how the oil gushed out from the broken rig.
People were eager to gain information and pictures and videos after the BP oil spill took place. Users of media did actively seek out this information by constantly watching news television, reading newspapers to find out information, and looking on websites to find out what they wanted to know about the spill.
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