Theories on Audience Activity

Audience activity was first noted in the 1960’s with Stuart Hall’s theory of encoding/ decoding. Before this theory, effects studies were carried out and ‘was dominated by a ‘hypodermic model of influence’ (Curran 1990: 506), thus audience activity emerged from this. Hall’s theory led to studies being created by the likes of Morley (1981) the nationwide audience and Ang (1983) which led to some of Hall’s findings being confirmed but there also being differences.

Stuart Hall’s theory of encoding/ decoding is where the notion of audience activity begins, he tried to account for active consumption also (Moores 1993). The encoding part of Hall’s theory (producing the media) was done by an individual but the messages ‘have a complex structure of dominance’ ( During 1993:477),meaning the encoding part is bound by institutions that constrain individuals. The message needs to be decoded meaningfully (Hall 1977) as the messages that are encoded are designed to give a preferred reading (Hall 1977) which has dominant ideology and a means for consumption. Due to the preferred meaning having an ‘institutional/political/ideological order imprinted in them’ (Hall 1977: 482) they then also have social order entwined in them.

Although there is a preferred meaning Hall (1977) emphasises three positions on interpreting meanings. The first being hegemonic- dominant position, fully accepting the preferred meaning (Hall 1977), the second being the negotiated-corporate position (Hall 1977) and the oppositional position (Hall 1977). The negotiated-corporate position is when the dominant message is shot with contradictions (Hall 1977) and is visibly shown to the viewer. The oppositional position is when the viewer fully rejects the preferred meaning (H...

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...tions. The amount of meanings changed within theories, but there is no criticism of audience activity, it is a vital role in cultural studies which does go uncritisised and celebrated as it creates the basis for cultural studies and the need for interpretation of messages.

Works Cited
Hall, S (1977) ‘Encoding/Decoding’ in During, S (eds) (2007) The Cultural Studies Reader, Oxon: Routledge

Jenson, J and Pauly, J.J (1997) ‘Imagining the Audience: Losses and Gains in Cultural Studies’ in Ferguson, M and Golding, P (eds) Cultural Studies in Question, London: Sage Publications

Moores, S (1993) Interpreting audiences: The Ethnography of Media Consumption, London: Sage publications

Morley, D and Brunsdon, C (1999) The Nationwide Television Studies, London: Routledge

Stevenson, N (2002) Understanding Media Cultures, London: Sage Publications