The Reception Theory

The Reception Theory

 The reception theory is based on Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding of the relationship between text and audiences receiving the media text. The text is encoded by the creator of the media text and it is then decoded by the by the audience, nonetheless there could be huge differences between two different decodings of the same text. However, by using recognised conventions and ideology, and by using audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and themes, the producers can predict and position the audience into a place in which they will either decode the right message or will  create a certain amount of agreement on what the message means.

Stuart Hall - 'Media seems to reflect reality, but in fact they construct it'

There are 3 types of audience decodings: 

Dominant

Negotiated

Oppositional

A example would be a McDonald's Advertisement. 

Dominant 

This is when the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to do so and agrees with all of it. e.g. McDonald's looks tasty and I would like to eat there.

Negotiated 

This type is decoding is when the audience rejects, accepts or refines elements of the text in light of previously held views. e.g. McDonald's may be tasty and popular, but I would prefer something healthier and cheaper.

Oppositional 

Where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons, e.g. McDonald's is unhealthy and disgusting I would not eat there.

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The Hypodermic Needle Theory

The Hypodermic Needle Theory

The "Hypodermic Needle Theory" is a theory that imply's that mass media has a direct and powerful effect on its audiences. The media in the late 1940s and 1950s was shown as a powerful and clear influence on behaviour change. The theory suggests that the mass media could influence and control a very large group of people directly by 'injecting' them with messages and ideology's designed to trigger a certain response which is posed by the creator of the media text. To express this theory if you use the example of a bullet and a needle which both suggest a powerful and direct flow of information from the sender (The media) to the audience.  

It is suggest that the media is a dangerous way to share and put across idea's since the audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message. The audience is seen as target and vulnerable since we have no idea if what we are being told is true since there is not other was to get the information we are being fed. The a popular example of this theory is the 1938 radio broadcast of Orson Wells 'War of the Worlds' in which over a million people throughout the United States genuinely believed that aliens were invading.The audience passively receives the information that is given to them through the media. They are manipulated into what they’re being told and seeing is true.

I have applied this theory to my own by using the repetitive theme in which never to give up on a loved one or dream. The message we are trying to portray to the audience is to chase the thing you love and we use this through visuals but mostly lyrics. Our video will be always reminding the audience about the message being put across.

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Blumler and Katz

The Blumler and Katz theory 

Users and gratification's theory. Blumler and Katz is a popular approach in understanding mass communication. This theory focuses on the audience rather than the message that is displayed. It asks what do people do with media rather than what does media do to people. The theory assumes that the audience are not passive but take a active role in taking in media and use the media to affect themselves.

When we take in a piece of media Blumler and Katz say we have to fulfil one of the following things to interact with the media - 

Identify - Being able to recognise the product or person in front of you, role models that reflect similar values to your own or the aspiration to be somebody else.

Educate - Learn something from the media, Acquire information, understanding and knowledge from it.

Entertainment - What you see should entertain you, you should enjoy it. You should get some sort of 'escapism' which helps us forget about our worries or problems for a short period. 

Social interaction - The ability of a form of media to create a topic of conversation between people. It can spark debates, enjoyment and create new information between people.

 This theory is criticised since people believe we have no power over the media and what it produces, It is said we 'let the media off the hook' when it comes to what they produce  as they don't take responsibility in what they do show. The idea that we simply use the media to satisfy us for something we don't need shows the power and influence that the media has over us.

I have applied this theory towards our group music video. The purpose behind our video is to interact with our audience and give them the realisation that time goes fast and we don't stay young forever. This would spark a topic of conversation between people and make people talk about the video and the idea behind it. 


We want our audience to be active in how they receive our video and reflect on themselves when they have watched it. 

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