Enconding/Decoding, Reception analysis model

Who came up with encoding and decoding

Hall

What is encoding

• media is encoded with a particular message or idea which audiences are expected to believe

What perspective is Hall

Neo-Marxist

What does dominant hegemonic viewpoint mean

The message that is encoded into the media which audiences are expected to believe which takes the dominant ideology and accepts it as normal

What is the pathway for encoding

• media producer

• Encode

• Dominant ideology spread through media

What is decoding

When most media audiences decod media texts exactly as they were intended and the views of the dominant class appear normal and reasonable

What is the pathway for decoding

• most of the audience

• Decode

• Share a common sense view

What does this view recognise

Some of the audience may decode the message differently due to personal social characteristics eg age or gender

How might young people decode a story about young delinquents

• they may know its incorrect as they have social characteristics which help e.g. their age so they know not everyone is a delinquent

• Some young people may internalise it until they self fulfill and become the label the media gave

Who came up with reception analysis

Morley

What did Morley say

Applied halls approach and said the audience is actually much more active

• in his study on the show nationwide he found audiences made up their own mind and there was significant oppositions to the views it was displaying

• When people accepted the ideological message of the programme they often had their own knowledge and experience of the issue

Who may support the ideas Morley was showing

• philo

• Buckingham

What else did Morley suggest

People who read or decode the media do it in one of three ways

What are the three ways Morley said people decode the media

• preferred reading

• Negotiated reading

• Oppositional reading

What is a preferred reading

When a passive audience decodes the media text in the way it was encoded eg. Everyone on benefits are workshy scroungers

What is a negotiated reading

When a largely passive audience generally accept the preferred reading must may adapt it to fit their own beliefs e.g. most benefit claimants are scroungers but some aren’t as they know some really deserving cases

What is an oppositional reading

When an active audience reject the preferred reading al together e.g. rejecting the view of scroungers all together

Which of the 3 readings would be accepted by the HSM

The preferred reading as its the most passive and we immediately accept it

Which of the 3 readings would be supported by the cultural effects model

Negotiated as we may reject part of it

Which reading wold be supported by the two step flow

Any as it depends on which reading the opinion leader agrees with

What else does Morley argue about individuals

• we all identify with several subcultures and may respond to issues in multiple ways

For example how would a teacher from a working class background react to a media headline that said social class limits your chance of success

• may agree with it as they’ve seen it affect some students due to material or cultural deprivation

• May disagree due to their own background

What is a moral panic

A wave of public concern about an imaginary threat within society

What does polysemic mean

Something has multiple meanings