Defining an Active Information Seeking Audience:

Information seeking audiences are already interested in the message and seek more sophisticated supplemental information.

Some examples of reaching an active information seeking audience are brochures, informational conferences, lectures, websites, etc.

The most efficient way to reach an active information seeking audience is by dividing up the audience.
For example, if you were addressing a group of MU faculty and staff you would address them as employees as a whole, then you would divide them by their position teachers, department heads, maintenance, offices, etc.

Defining a Passive Audience

A passive audience is an audience that will initially pay attention to a message only because it is entertaining and offers a diversion. This type of audience is made aware of something through a brief encounter such as a billboard, poster, flyer, etc.

Communication channels ideal for reaching a passive audience are ones that can be accessed while doing something else. (example: driving a car and seeing a billboard). Messages targeted towards a passive audience need to be creative and stylish: something that will capture one’s attention. 

Most PR campaigns are designed to reach a passive audience.