Hall’s Reception Theory

1. HALL’S RECEPTION
THEORY

2. Brief overview…
Reception Theory?
 A theory on reader responses to a media text.
 Based on the encoding and decoding model.
 A way of explaining audience positioning.
Encoding?
 The process of building signs and signals into a media text that build a
message/meaning.
 These messages are ‘encoded’ by the producers of a text and are said
to be based on their own social and cultural background.
 However, the producers are able to convey in this way any meaning
they wish.
Decoding
 Decoding is done by the audience upon reading a text.
 They ‘decode’ the messages built by the producers in order to interpret
their own meanings.
 This interpretation leads the text being read in one of 3 ways:
Preferred, Negotiated and Oppositional

3. The theory states that media texts are encoded by the
producer meaning that whoever produces the text fills the
product with values and messages. The text is then
decoded by the audience. Different spectators will decode
the text in different ways, not always in the way the
producer intended. A text can be received in one of three
ways; Dominant or Preferred Reading Negotiated Reading
Oppositional Reading
What is it?

4. Dominant or Preferred Reading
This is when the text is read in the way the producer intended the text to
be read. The audience agree with the messages and ideology that the
producer has placed behind the text. The audience will view the text in
the way the producer wanted them to. Overall this is a positive thing for
the producer of the text as it means their advertisement has been
successful as to get across the messages and values the producer
wanted.
How would an audience have a dominant or preferred reading?
• Clear message
• Audience is the same age so they relate to the product
• From the same culture
• Easy to understand the narrative and they can relate to the narrative
in some way
• Relevant to the audiences society
• Audience are choosing to consume the product so must have a
reason to like it in the first place.

5. Negotiated Reading
• This is a compromise between the dominant reading and the oppositional
reading of the text. The audience accepts the views of the producer but also
has their own input and understanding of the text. They do not agree or
disagree, they can however see a point being made in relation to the reading
while also making their own opinions. Overall this is a good response to an
advert as it is still getting the message the producer wanted to get across,
even if the reader is also making their own judgment.
How an audience would have a negotiated reading
• The audience may not have the same life experiences.
• May not understand the narrative so cannot relate to it in a meaningful way.
• Age may vary the reading and understanding.
• Do not understand all of the messages making it unclear what the dominant
reading is supposed to be.

6. Oppositional Reading
• The audience rejects the producers preferred reading and creates their own
reading of the product, usually this is the opposite of what the producer
intended. The audience rejects the meaning completely as they do not agree
with the message that is being presented to them. Overall this is a bad
response to get to a film as it will mean the people who view it will not want to
watch it and do not agree with the producers ideologies and messages.
How an audience would have a oppositional reading
• The product has controversial themes
• The audience disagree with the messages of the video
• Dislike the genre
• No understanding
• Cannot relate to the narrative structure
• Is not reflective of their society
• Different cultures have different understandings

7. How this links with our short film
• Our short film is based around two families from different
classes and backgrounds coming together through the
compassion of a young boy. There are certain shots and
dialogue we will use for the process of building signs and
signals to build a message/meaning that we are trying to
convey, for example despite class differences love is
universal and sometimes children are the ones who see
this most because of their innocence. This links to
encoding because we will gear the production of the short
film around trying to express this message throughout the
production. We will have a clear message and the
characters would be similar ages to the intended
audience so they can relate more.