RECEPTION THEORY

1) What is the preferred reading of a media text?

It's the idea that the producers can position the audience in a certain place and influence their reading so they accept the intended message by using recognised codes and conventions ( such as stereotypes )

2) What is the oppositional reading of a media text?

The audience reject the intended message and construct an opposite reading instead. This can be due to their own social or political or moral beliefs and values.


Re-watch the trailer for the film Harry Brown:

3) How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?              

The preferred reading for the young people in this trailer is that they're presented as a generation of violence and hatred. The young people have no emotion when they commit negative actions towards their community which suggests to the consumers that they're heartless - don't care about peoples opinions on them.

4) Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

Young people may reject this reading and adopt an oppositional reading of this trailer because it seems as if the elderly man has bad intentions too and they youth are being misunderstood as being the only bad ones in the community. As the trailer continues you can see the impact bad behaviour has on peoples surroundings. Harry Brown starts to take things into his own hands and proceeds to try stop the kids that have no hearts.

Look at this McDonald's advert:

5) Write a 200 word analysis of the McDonald's advert using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

The preferred reading of this poster would be that the burger in the poster looks tasty and would make consumers want to purchase a burger for themselves or another person. There is a text above the sandwich which indicates that the Big Mac can be purchased as a meal.

The negotiated reading of this poster would be that the burger is unhealthy. They might think this because the burger in the image appears as being greasy and the ingredients below suggest this^ 


6) Now find your own advertisement and write a 200 word analysis using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

The preferred reading of this advertisement is the shoe is a light, comfortable and stylish shoe that is suitable for all ages. The text 'yeezy' indicates its a company owned by Kanye West which is a well known rapper, this influences the consumer to want to buy the product because its designed by a popular celebrity.

The negotiated reading for this product would be that its expensive/ hard to purchase. This is because it's coming from a millionaire which suggests the product would have a high price to it, also it might be hard to purchase because many off the higher classed people or just generally wealthy buyers would immediately purchase the shoe leaving none in stock left.