Agree, negotiate or oppose to media

It must have happened to you at least once in a conversation with someone that you said, I didn't mean it that way. We speak sentences, expecting our interlocutors to understand exactly what we want to say. Similarly, we often assume that media messages are received and understood by audience in the same way. However, personal experiences, beliefs, education, and cultural background very often play a significant role in how we interpret media content. The media is not only what is said - what the author thinks they said - but also what is understood, that is, how the recipient understood what was said. Sometimes what is said and what is understood are not aligned, and this is where Reception Theory, developed by cultural theorist Stuart Hall, comes into play.

What is reception theory

In the first attempts at research on communication, especially the one carried out through mass media channels, it was believed that the audience that receives media messages is passive and understands them in the same way. Over time, it was realized that this was not an accurate statement and the first theories that were based on such an assumption quickly fell through. Until Stuart Hall and his theory, several theories appeared in which it was claimed that the audience is in some way an active participant in the communication process because it chooses the media content it consumes. As a continuation of these theories, Reception Theory further suggests that the members of the audience not only actively choose which messages they receive, but that they do not take those they do receive for granted; instead, Hall says the audience actively interprets the media content based on their own perspectives. Hall argued that media texts (such as news, movies, music, advertisements and TV shows) have encoded meanings - the intended message created by the producer or the author, but on the other hand, the audience can decode these messages in different ways depending on numerous factors that influence their understanding, which then leads to multiple interpretations.

Based on the types of different interpretations, he identified three main ways in which people interpret media messages:

1. Preferred reading (dominant position): The audience fully accepts the intended message as the creator intended.

2. Negotiated reading: The audience partially accepts the intended message, but modifies it based on personal beliefs or experiences.

3. Oppositional reading: The audience rejects or completely misinterprets the intended message, often challenging or opposing its meaning.

Examples of reception theory in action

If we apply these concepts to examples from life and of course media, here is what we might get:

Reporting on political speech

- Preferred reading: The audience accepts the politician's message as positive and believes in their vision.

- Negotiated reading: The audience agrees with some points but remains skeptical about certain aspects.

- Oppositional reading: The audience sees the speech as manipulative or misleading, interpreting it in a way that opposes the intended message.

A popular film with a social message

- Preferred reading: The film is inspiring and carries an important message about social justice.

- Negotiated reading: The film is well made and makes sense, but some aspects seem exaggerated or unrealistic.

- Oppositional reading: The film promotes a biased or misleading narrative that the viewer rejects.

And this is important...

Understanding Reception Theory is important because it allows us to understand that neither the media nor the audience are ever neutral. The way we decode messages depends on our background, education, prejudices we carry with us about certain social groups, as well as the influence of the environment (social influence).

This understanding has major implications for:

- Media literacy: Encouraging critical thinking instead of passive consumption.

- Social and political discourse: Recognizing that different audiences interpret the same event differently.

- Marketing and branding: Companies need to consider how, say, different audiences experience advertisements.

How to apply reception theory in everyday life

To critically engage with the media, ask yourself:

- What is the goal and message of this content that I am reading/watching/listening to?

- Do I interpret it differently than others? Why?

- How do my personal experiences shape my understanding?

- What alternative viewpoints are there?

By questioning the way we receive and interpret media messages, we can better navigate the world of media, both traditional and new - digital, and avoid the manipulation of dominant narratives.

Media is never just about what is presented - but how it is understood. Reception theory reminds us that our interpretations are shaped by our perception of the content they carry and no message is universally accepted in the same way. Next time you consume media, take a moment to think: Am I seeing this as the creator intended, or am I bringing my own perspective to the interpretation?