Theory: Reception Theory (1960’s)Theorists: Hans-Robert Jauss

What is the theory?The reception theory is a theory that looks at how audiences obtain and understand the media that they consume. It is more generally called audience reception in the analysis of communications models. In literary studies, reception theory originated from the work of Hans-Robert Jauss in the late 1960s, however it was then later developed by Stuart Hall for media and communication studies.

This approach, the encoding/decoding model of communication is a textual analysis that concentrates on the possibility for negotiation and opposition on the behalf of the audience. Meaning that the subject, whether it be a book, movie or any other piece of creative work is not just passively accepted by the audience. Instead, the audience interprets the meaning of the text based on their own individual lives and experiences. The meaning of the text therefore lays in the audience’s personal reaction to the subject, rather than the subject itself. So it is entirely open to personal interpretation.

The theory is broken up into two parts, encoding and decoding is one part, and the second is preferred, negotiated and oppositional.

Encoding is where the producer of the product of media fills that product with the message that they want to get across to people. Newspapers are a good example of this, as they anchor their images with emotive captions to try and encode ideas and feelings about headlines into the newspaper, therefore onto the consumer.

Decoding is where the consumer of the media product decodes the messages from the producer of the media product. The consumer will decode the material as the publisher intended and therefore when, for example, looking at a newspaper, they will go away with the message that has been put out by the publisher.

The second part focusses on how someone understands a media product. The viewer of a product of media can interpret it in different ways, rather than just passively accepting it. This is the idea of Stuart Hall.

Preferred is where the reader will view the message and agree with it.

Negotiated is where the reader will accept the preferred reading but can occasionally adapt it in a way which reflects their own personal position, interests and experiences.

Oppositional is where the reader will understand the preferred reading, however they will reject it as they have an alternative and oppositional view.

Does this theory see the audience as active or passive? Why do you think this?

The reception theory can see the audience as being both active and passive. In some parts of the theory, such as the encoding and decoding section, the audience is seen as passive. This is where the preferred reading of the media product is encoded by the producer, and then decoded in the same way by the consumer. The other sections however can see the audience as being more active, and thinking more for themselves. This is apparent in the negotiated and oppositional theories, where the reader processes the information and modifies it to their own personal view. This shows that they are a more active audience and process the information that is being delivered to them rationally, whilst drawing on past experiences to back their views and opinions up.