Audience Theories

STUART HALL - encoding & decoding theory
He said that the text is received from the audience, which then is decoded and then interpreted in the way they want to.
There are three different readings:

• Dominant Reading - this is when the media text is interpreted as the institution intended.
• Negotiated Reading - where the audience may agree with some parts of the media text, however disagree with other parts.
• Oppositional Reading - the audience find themselves in conflict with the text and disagrees.

BLUMER & KATZ - uses & gratifications theory

Blumer and Katz theorised audiences are active and that actually the audience uses the text rather than the text using the audience.

Examples of the ways the audience uses the text:

• Escapism

• Diversion

• Information

• Counter cultural experience

• Comparing

• Sexual Stimulation