Stuart Hall developed reception theory to analyze how audiences receive and interpret media. The theory has two parts: encoding, where media producers develop messages, and decoding, where consumers derive meaning. Decoding can occur through preferred readings, where audiences agree with the message, negotiated readings, where audiences sometimes adapt the message to their own views, or optional readings, where audiences reject the message. Reception theory considers audiences to be active in determining their own interpretations rather than passive receivers of media content. Criticisms of the theory note that many individual factors like life experiences and demographics can influence how audiences decode messages.
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Reception Theory
1. Theory: Reception Theory
Theorists: Stuart Hall
What is the theory?
The reception theory looks at how an audience receives and interprets the media.
Stuart Hall developed and came up with this idea for media studies. The theory has
two parts to it which makes it the reception theory. The first looks at encoding..
Encoding is when the producer of a media puts a message in to the product. While
Decoding is what the consumer gets out of the media. Encoding is seen a lot by
anchoring photographs in a newspaper or magazine. Putting a caption to lead to a
message is seen as encoding because it is what they want you to think. The second
part looks at how someone understands and interprets a media product. This
comes in three different sections. !ne is
Preferred; this is where the reader understands the message given and agrees with
it.
Negotiated is when the reader accepts the message but sometimes changes it to
reflect on own views, personal experiences and interests.
Optional where the reader doesn’t accept the message and makes a meaning from
their own views
Does this theory see the audience as active or passive?
This theory has an active audience as the audience can chose their own views and
what they want out of text which depends on what they read. The media will try
and persuade you one way or another but it’s your choice weather to believe the
media and except them.
What are the criticisms of this theory?
They are many factors that affect the Preferred, Negotiated or optional reading.
Some for example are life experiences, interests, age, gender, sexuality, religion.
These can all change a person’s opinion.