Reception Theory

This is all about how texts are encoded by producers with a meaning, which are there decoded (understood) by the audience. When a producer constructs a text  it will be encoded with a message or meaning that they aim to convey to the audience. The audience will either reject the message or decode the message correctly.

There are 3 types of audience readings-

1) Dominent- The audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to and agrees with the message.

2) Negociated-  The audience accepts/rejects/refines elements of the text in the light of the previous held readers. For example neither agreeing or disagreeing with the message

3) Oppositional- This is where the audience recognise the dominant meaning but is rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons.

Theorists who analyse media through reception studies are concerned with the experiences of cinema and televison viewing for audiences and how meaning is created through these experiences.

By Amy Thrush