Audience Theorists

 Stuart Hall - Reception Theory

- Media products have specific ideologies and meanings that are hoped to decoded

  - Preferred readings: completely understanding

  - Oppositional reading: do not take messages (don't agree)

  - Negotiated: they see some message, accepting some but reject others

Clay Shirky - End of Audience Theory

- Passive audiences no longer exist - we're more active, sharing, commenting etc.

  - technology has developed, changing expectations

- More online access and versions

- Audiences 'speak back' to producers - less of a hierarchy in production 

Henry Jenkins - Fandom Theory 

- Audiences are vital in media

  - distribute the content (for free)

- Textual poaching: fans remaking content with own interpretations and purposes (prosumers)

  - social media, youtube etc.

Albert Bandura - Social Learning Theory

- Experimented with children, focusing on replicating behaviour.

  - what you watch, you learn and copy

- Equivalent to copying traits and behaviours seen in media

  - political views

George Gerbner - Cultivation Theory

- Media repeats representation of people

  - slowly believe and see it as normal and believe what you're told

- Will change our ideas of dominant/mainstream beliefs and media.