- Unlike the Hypodermic Needle Theory, this theory explains how the audience is an active audience rather than passive.
- The audience are actively engaged in the interpretation of media texts rather than as passive consumers.
- Individuals receive and interpret texts in different ways.
- Demonstrates that although one message is sent out into the media, not everyone will understand the message.
- Allows media text to be consumed individually and takes in no consideration the meaning of a text and the relationship an individual may understand from this in relation to sociological factors.
- Semiotics- 'the science of signs'
- Encode and decode the semiotics. Media texts are encoded by the producer and these texts are full of ideologies. Text is then decoded by an audience.
- However not all audiences will decode and respond to the text in the same way. This explains the active audience theory, that each member of the audience interprets the message in their own way.
Decoding and Encoding
- Producer creates a text which is encoded with ideas and beliefs they want the mass audience to follow.
- This is called preferred reading.
- Message will be correctly decoded sometimes and the audience will receive and understand the message.
- However, because the audience are an active audience some confusion will occur as not everyone will interpret the message in the intended way therefore the message will be ineffective.
Three Types of Audience:
1.Dominant
or Preferred = understand
the message, on dominant scale.
2.Negotiated=
agree
but also disagree, a compromise between two meanings.
3.Oppositional=
completely
disagrees, rejects preferred meaning and creates their own.
Sociological
Factors:
•There are certain factors that
effect whether we take the dominant, opposition or negotiated reading.
•Life experience: adults may understand texts better than teenagers because they have more life experience
•Mood at time: if you are feeling down, everything will seem down
•Age: Adults wont relate to younger
media texts.
•Culture: where you are from changes
your views and reading.
•Beliefs: Be religious or not
religious.
•Gender: Buy FHM for a males. Girls
read it differently.
Summary
•Hall says we are an active audience and we are allowed our own readings and how their individual circumstances affect their reading.
•Decode and Encode Model is relationship between text and audience.
•The text is encoded by the producer and decoded by reader.
•Using recognized codes and conventions, by drawing up audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and use of stars, the producers can position the audience thus create a certain amount of agreement on what the code means. Known as preferred reading.
Summary
•Hall says we are an active audience and we are allowed our own readings and how their individual circumstances affect their reading.
•Decode and Encode Model is relationship between text and audience.
•The text is encoded by the producer and decoded by reader.
•Using recognized codes and conventions, by drawing up audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and use of stars, the producers can position the audience thus create a certain amount of agreement on what the code means. Known as preferred reading.
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