This document provides an overview of several media theorists and their key theories to help with exam preparation. It includes brief explanations of Adorno's hypodermic model, Blumler and Katz's uses and gratification model, Hall's encoding and decoding, Saussure's concept of signs, Peirce's categories of signs, Mulvey's male gaze, and Dyer's work on stereotypes. The purpose is to familiarize students with important theorists and theories in a concise manner through definitions and examples.

1. THEORY HANDBOOK
MILLIE YAXLEY
USEFUL FOR FINAL EXAM!!!!

2. THE DIFFERENT THEORISTS AND THEIR
THEORIES
REMEMBER THESE!
• ADORNO – HYPODERMIC MODEL
• BLUMLER AND KATZ – USES AND
GRATIFICATION MODEL
• HALL – ENCODING AND DECODING
• SAUSSURE – SIGNS
• PEIRCE – ICON, SYMBOL AND INDEX
• MULVEY – MALE GAZE
• DYER – STEREOTYPES.
NOW COVER THEM UP AND
RE WRITE THEM.

3. ADORNO – HYPODERMIC MODEL
• ADORNO SEES THE MEDIA AS VERY POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL.
• HE “INJECTS” THE MESSAGE IN THE AUDIENCES HEAD.
• THIS APPROACH SEES THE AUDIENCE AS PASSIVE- THE AUDIENCE IS CONTROLLED BY THE
MEDIA.
• ADORNO SAW MORALITY AS BEING STUCK WITHIN THIS POWERLESS SUBJECTIVE IN A
WORLD THAT VALUES ONLY RECOGNIZABLE FACTS.

4. BLUMLER AND KATZ – USES
AND GRATIFICATION
MODEL.
IT HAS 4 SIMPLE NEEDS
1. DIVERSION – THE NEED TO RELAX AND ESCAPE
2. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS – USING THE MEDIA TO
FULFIL THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDS,
BECOMING PART OF A SOCIAL GROUP
3. PERSONAL IDENTITY – USING MEDIA TO FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT YOURSELVES
4. SURVEILLANCE - USING THE MEDIA TO FIND OUT
WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD.
NEED TO KNOW THIS!

5. HALL – ENCODING AND ENCODING
• ENCODING/DECODING IS AN ACTIVE AUDIENCE THEORY WHICH EXAMINES THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A TEXT AND ITS AUDIENCE.
• ENCODING MEANS THE PROCESS BY WHICH A TEXT IS CONSTRUCTED BY ITS
PRODUCERS.
• DECODING MEANS THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE AUDIENCE READS,
UNDERSTANDS AND INTERPRETS A TEXT.
• HE SAYS THE AUDIENCE RESPONDS TO TIS IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS.
DOMINANT NEGOTIATED OPPOSITIONAL
Fully accepted Mostly accepts Rejects

6. SAUSSURE - SIGNS
• HE TALKS ABOUT THE SIGNIFIER AND THE SIGNIFIED.
• FOR EXAMPLE:
Signifier is the pumpkin The signified is Halloween

7. PIERCE – ICON, SYMBOL & INDEX
• HE CATEGORISES SIGNS IN THREE WAYS:
ICON – RESEMBLES THE SIGNIFIES
SYMBOL – A SIGNIFIER WHICH CANT EXIST WITHOUT THE SIGNIFIED
INDEX – REPRESENTS THE SIGNIFIED

8. MULVEY – MALE GAZE
• SHE ARGUES THAT MALES AND FEMALES ARE REPRESENTED DIFFERENTLY.
• FEMALES ARE FOR VISUAL PLEASURE
• MALES CONNOTE TO-BE-LOOKED-AT-NESS.
This is a perfume
advert. This is a
male gaze as the
woman is being
sexualised. The way
that she is laying
down looking at the
camera would be
appealing to men.
This is stereotypical
as it is saying that
This is a Calvin Klein
advert and this type is
called a female gaze.
This is because women
would be most
attracted to this than
men. This man is being
sexualised by the way
he has been positioned
and by him being
dressed. They have

9. DYER – STEREOTYPES
• HE SAYS STEREOTYPES ARE A SHORTCUT TO MEANING.
• SIMPLE, STRIKING AND AN EASILY-GRASPED FORM OF REPRESENTATION.