2.  Given that the Effects model and the
Uses and Gratifications have their
problems and limitations a different
approach to audiences was developed
by the academic Stuart Hall at
Birmingham University in the 1970’s
 This considered how texts were encoded
with meaning by producers and then
decoded (understood) by audiences.

3.  When a producer constructs a text it is
encoded with a meaning or message that
the producer wishes to convey to the
audience.
 In some instances audiences will correctly
decode the message or meaning and
understand what the producer was trying
to say.
 In some instances, the audience will either
reject or fail to correctly understand the
message.

4.  Stuart Hall identified three types of
audience readings (or decoding) of the
text;
 1) Dominant or Preferred
 2) Negotiated
 3) Oppositional

5.  Where the audience decodes the
message as the producer wants them to
do and broadly agrees with it.
 E.g: Watching a political speech and
agreeing with it.

6.  Where the audience accepts, rejects or
refines elements of the text in light of
previously held news.
 E.g; Neither agreeing or disagreeing with
the political speech or being
disinterested.

7.  Where the dominant meaning is
recognised but rejected for cultural,
political and ideological reasons.
 E.g: Total rejection of the political
speech and active opposition.

8. Dominant or
Preferred
Negotiated
Oppositional
Producer
Encodes
Meaning