Analysis of anti smoking public service announcement and other Public service broadcasts.

Criticial theories and how they relate to Public Service Broadcasts-

Uses and Gratifications theory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_gratifications_theory
This theory focuses on why people consume media. It states that the audience seek the media, the media does not seek them. It suggests that people activley consume media to gratify thier need of being entertained and or informed. For example the media is a fantastic way of informing us on recent stories which are often topics of social conversations. A person would be far more confident if they had been informed on the latest 'celeb breakup' as they would then be the one in the social circle who knows the 'latest news' or 'gossip'.

When applying this to public service broadcasts people feel much more secure when they are informed about controversial topics, such as domestic violence, or sexually transimitted diseases for example. In the social world people are seen as 'stupid' if they dont know about sexually transmitted diseases.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m62H9yu48eU

This advert would gratify the target audiences (young adults and teenagers) need of being informed about sexually transmitted diseases. They seek to be informed about this conteroversial topic to seem knowledgeable in front of their friends. They would seem to be the 'popular' and 'cool' one (an important thing they want to be around this age) if they knew the facts about this topic. They would probably seek to know things about this to[ic if they needed to know about these things for personal reasons or experiences that they may have had in thier lives to do with sexually transimitted diseases.

The Audience positioning theory;
dominated
negotiated

DETATILED TEXUTAL ANALYSIS OF ANTI SMOKNG PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCAST-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucszwf7JJG8&feature=related

This advert is hugley effectitive and is targeted right at the hearts of the target audience of middle aged parents whom are likely to have children of the ages featured on the advert.
It beggins with a series of clips of young children looking cute, cheeky and youthful. They are shown playing 'builders' and other various games. It tugs at the heart strings of parents as they can empathise with the advert, having children themselves. They are shown how perfect, healthy and lively children are at this age. The atmosphere at the beggining of the advert is emphasized with the non diagetic sound of the music. This music "twinkle twinkle" is typical of young children and reminds us of them pattering around the home being kids. This represents children as sweet, cute and delicate.
However in the middle part of the narrative, the atmosphere of the advert changes. We see a little baby with smoke coming out of its mouth, as if a smokers would. However this is done in a subtle way, nothing else changes in the advert apart from this. This makes the audience feel unsure and perquiliar as the adverts suggesting that this is normal of children. The advertisement then continues with a series of clips similar to this, still portraying children in a cute, giggly innocent way. This makes mothers especially feel unsure and insecure about watching this advert as it is their maternal instinct to protect and keep their children healthy.
The voice over then interjects and the end of the narrative. Once again this dosent change the atmosphere as a motherly voice softly beggins to say "if you smoke, your children will begin to smoke too". The fact that this is a 'mothers' voice it targets the main audience of mothers sucessfully. It then goes onto give a fact, which really turns the opinions of the audience and ensures it effects them. "every year children are addmitted to hospital from breathing in other peoples cigarette smoke". This shocks the audience as it emphasises their responsibility over their children.