Billy Baldry Tony Henry Stuck In The Ghetto Rough Cut

Reception Theory

This theory, constructed by Stuart Hall, takes the Effects model and Uses and Gratification model to eliminate their problems to give a new theory, the Reception Theory. This theory believes that a text is encoded by a its producer and then decoded by an audience. the theory is based on the concept that there is no single meaning for any media text. it focuses on what the audience interprets, but this isn't always the anticipated response, variables such as age, gender, social status can effect the interpretation of the intended message and can sway them from a correct decode. in some instances an audience will either fail to completely understand a message or reject the message.

Stuart Hall categorised the responses into three variables being; Dominant or Preferred, Negotiable, and  Oppositional.

Dominant or Preferred - this is the response the producer intends for an audience to have.

Negotiable - This interpretation means the audience partly understands but doesn't comprehend fully

Oppositional - This reading of the text is directly opposed to the intended message, and there is a clear confusion.

Taking this theory and applying it to my music video would consist of responses like...

Dominant or Preferred - an audience would read that the text consists of a struggling man, who is lonely but feels a level of compassion towards

The Uses and Gratification Model

Two Step Flow Theory

the two step flow theory consists of a more refined approach to the effects model and the hypodermic model, rather than the audience receiving a text directly, an audience consumes in two parts. this theory states that media effects are indirectly established through the personal influence of opinion leaders, the majority of people receive much of their information, and are influenced by the media second hand, through the personal influence opinion leaders.

A great example of this theory is twitter, many famous people post issues and opinions and many people digest these theories as their own, the more people that jump on the bandwagon the more the opinion is exposed and consumed by audiences.

Taking into account our own music video, for it to be successful in this theory, it would have to be published through a well known user, who would produce our music video to the masses, the more people that view the music video, the more successful it would become as it reaches a higher profile.

Cultivation Theory

The Cultivation Theory argues that repeated exposure to a text will desensitise

The Effects Model

What it is?

The effects model is a theory that believes that depending on what an audience consumes will have a direct and linear impact on the actions and behaviours of the individual subject. The Effects theory does not allow for differences in specific cases, it is an absolute theory and applies to everyone. The audience is intrinsically passive, the dominant is the text that they are consuming, one can differentiate this theory as being somewhat like brainwashing. All power is contained within the message that is delivered. The model is also known as the hypodermic model. The hypodermic model argues that the messages that are converted to the audience "is injected into the audience by a powerful syringe-like media" and the audience is powerless to "resist". Therefore this theory is also seen like a drug upon the audience, thus it can be seen that the audience is somewhat drugged, addicted and doped into believing and acting out the message received.


How It Works?

The Frankfurt School presents key evidence to the strength of this theory, "they theorised in the 1920's and 30's that the mass media act to restrict and control audiences to the benefit of corporate capitalism and governments"

The Bobo Doll experiment is a very controversial piece of research that apparently proved that children copy violent behaviour. this is a controversial piece of evidence that sparks much debate as to the reliability of this case.


Where Can It Be Seen?

The effects model contributes to moral panics where by "an intense feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order" according to Stanley Cohen, a moral panic occurs when "a condition, episode, person or group of people emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests". The media have long operated as agents of moral indignation. Simply reporting the facts can be enough to generate concern, anxiety or panic. The theory can be applied to advertisements, they present an memorable message and thus makes an audience go and by a product, they are inclined to remember and even purchase the product an example of this can be seen with the "Go Compare" advert, the message is clear and rememberable to the extent you become annoyed by it... but it works!