The document discusses several media theories including auteur theory, which views the director as the author of a film, reception theory, which examines how audiences decode and interpret media messages, the hypodermic needle model which sees audiences as passive receivers of media messages, and the male gaze, which refers to the portrayal of women in media from a masculine perspective. It also provides references for each theory discussed to provide additional context and information.

1. Theory
Research
Toby Jackson

2. Auteur Theory
• The Auteur Theory is the way of looking at films that
say the director is the author of the film and it is a
reflection of their vision, so a films by the same director
will have reoccurring themes that inform the audience
who the director is. For example, in Alfred Hitchcock's
films, the audience can see certain images and ideas
that pop up again and again.
• Reference: Anon. (2021). What is Auteur Theory? -
Definitions and Examples. Available:
https://indiefilmhustle.com/auteur-theroy/. Last
accessed 09th Sept 2021.

3. Reception Theory
• The Reception Theory states that parts of the media are encoded and
decoded, the producer inputs and encodes messages and values in
their media which can be decoded and taken differently by the
audience, not in the way the producer / writer intended. Dominant
reading is how the producer wants the audience to view it, if it is clear.
Oppositional reading is when the audience rejects what has been said,
this can happen if they disagree or if they are a different age, gender,
life experience etc. Negotiated reading is in between dominant and
oppositional, it is when the audience accepts parts of the producers'
views but has their own views too.
• Reference: Anon. (2021). Reception Theory. Available:
https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-
revision/reception-theory. Last accessed 09th Sept 2021.

4. The Hypodermic Needle Model
• The Hypodermic Needle Model suggests that the media
messages are directly injected into the passive
audiences. People believe that the mass media has a
powerful effect. Social media is a main cause of this,
people will see a news headline and believe it without
following up on any evidence or facts.
• Reference: Anon. (2021). The Hypodermic Needle
Theory. Available: https://lessonbucket.com/media-in-
minutes/the-hypodermic-needle-theory/. Last accessed
09th Sept 2021.

5. The Male Gaze
• The Male Gaze is the way of portraying how women
look in magazine covers, films etc that is diminishing
them. This is to sell attention to the male audience. This
has bad effects that can make people feel differently
about themselves, which can lead to low self-esteem.
• Reference: Sarah Vanbuskirk . (2021). What Is The
Male Gaze?. Available:
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-male-gaze-
5118422. Last accessed 09th Sept 2021.

6. Bibliography
• Anon. (2021). Reception
Theory. Available: https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-
revision/media-studies-level-revision/reception-theory. Last
accessed 09th Sept 2021.
• Anon. (2021). The Hypodermic Needle Theory. Available:
https://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-hypodermic-
needle-theory/. Last accessed 09th Sept 2021.
• Anon. (2021). What is Auteur Theory? - Definitions and
Examples. Available: https://indiefilmhustle.com/auteur-theroy/.
Last accessed 09th Sept 2021.
• Sarah Vanbuskirk . (2021). What Is The Male
Gaze?. Available: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-
male-gaze-5118422. Last accessed 09th Sept 2021.

7. Source 1 - Book
Summary – I have learned from this source more
about reception theory and that it has frequently
resurfaced over the last two decades
Quote - "Reception theory refers throughout to a
general shift in concern from the author and the work
to the text and the reader."
Bibliography - Robert C. Holub (2013). Reception
Theory. 3rd ed. Anon: Taylor & Francis. p9.

8. Source 2 - Book
• Summary – I have learned that it dominated
literary critism in Germany in the late 1960s to
late 1970s. It also came from Germany to America.
• Quote - "Every area of literary endeavour in
Germany reacted to the challenge of reception theory at
some point in the seventies"
• Bibliography - Robert C. Holub (1992). Crossing
Borders: Reception Theory. Anon: University of
Wisconsin Press. p7.

9. Source 3
• Summary – I have learned that it was developed
by Stuart Hall, in 1973.
• Quote - "It is unnecessary that the audience will
decode the message encoded by the author just
the same." - Stuart Hall
• Bibliography - Anon. (Anon). Reception
Theory. Available:
https://www.communicationtheory.org/reception-
theory/. Last accessed 15th Sept 2021.

10. Source 4
• Summary – All 3 types of audience reading, preferred,
oppositional and negotiated.
• Quote - "People who make media products put their
ideas in their texts which they expect audiences to
understand. "
• Bibliography - Anon. (2017). Stuart Hall - Reception
Theory. Available:
https://guilsboroughschoolmedia.wordpress.com/2017/0
6/15/stuart-hall-reception-theory/. Last accessed 15th
Sept 2021.

11. Product / Person / Studio
Research
• I am planning to do the billboard magazine, which is a product, a
magazine that covers mainly music.
• The billboard is an American music and entertainment magazine
published every week by the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media
Group. It was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James
Hennegan, it was originally an entertainment magazine that covered the
industry in the early years of the 20th century, then it focused more
on music as radios, jukeboxes came around. Donaldson passed away
in 1925 and was passed down to his children and Hennegan's children,
then it was sold to private investors in 1985 and is now owned by
various parties
• Reference: N/A. (2021). Billboard (magazine). Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_(magazine). Last accessed 6th
Oct 2021.

12. Product Research
• It ranks weekly Hot 100 singles (founded in 1958), Top
200 albums, it is big in America for ranking music. It
originally got its name from billboard advertisements for
live entertainment like carnivals or fairs. The music
charts and rankings are spread across a double page
spread or more to make it more visually appealing
• Reference: N/A. (N/A). 'Billboard' - Story. Available:
https://www.pentagram.com/work/billboard/story. Last
accessed 6th Oct 2021.

13. Product Research
• It is devoted to the music industry. It is often called one
of the 'holy grails' of the entertainment industry and it is
typically regarded as one of the most relevant and
unbiased sources on information in the music industry.
It is also frequently used as the standard measure for
ranking songs in America, based on physical sales,
digital sales, and radio airplay
• Reference: N/A. (N/A). Billboard (magazine). Available:
https://rockyout.fandom.com/wiki/Billboard_(magazine).
Last accessed 6th Oct 2021.

14. Micro Analysis