2. What is the theory?
0 Media texts are encoded by the producer, meaning whoever
produces the text fills the product with multiple values and
messages (ideology) .
0 The text is the interpreted (decoded) by the audience.
0 Just like literature, the audience may decode the text in
various ways. Not always as the producer has intended it to
be seen.
0 This could be in short – how a person views art. The artist
may have different ideas to the audience.
3. An Example
0 My Sisters Keeper was shown in class, this was
intended to be ‘sad’. However many different people
viewed this to be different, some found it happy,
frustrating or even sympathetic.
0 We understand what the message is given to us by the
institution, but we agree with the intentions of
disagree. Sub-consciously the audience comes to this
conclusion from who they are.
5. Factors which change how we
interpret a text.
0 Social class
0 Age
0 Race
0 Gender
0 Disability
0 Religion
0 Region
0 Profession/ Career
0 Sexuality
0 Political views
We all see the same product but
how each of us interpret the
text is different. E.g. watching a
horror, and disagreeing with
the characters splitting up and
wandering off on their own.
Oppositional would be if you
don’t believe in it or if you
didn’t find it scary.
6. Dominant
0 The dominant reading of the text is the message that the
producer has intended.
0 The audience agree with the ideology and the message
behind the text
0 The audience will view the message in the way the
producer wanted them to.
0 The ideal consumption has been met and then institution
happy.
0 This is what I am aiming for on my coursework. I am
aiming for a dominant and preferred reading for my media
product.
0 It will be successful because it is being understood.
7. Negotiated
0 A compromise between the dominant and oppositional
readings. The audience accepts the dominant ideology of
the producer, but also has their own input and
understanding in relation to the text.
0 They don’t agree or disagree, however they can see the
point being made in relation to the reading yet still have
their own opinion.
0 E.g. they understand what the producer is suggesting and
how they are supposed to consume the text. They do not
fully conform with the message.
8. Oppositional
0 The audience rejects the preferred meaning and
create their own meaning of the text. They may not
agree with the message created for the audience.
0 They may be offended, upset and fail to see the
intended message from the institution. The audience
may reject this fully and receive the text in the wrong
way.
