Hall's Theory of encoding and decoding is a theory of reception theory, developed by Stuart Hall.
According to the theory, audiences can have three different reactions to a media text, whether it be a film, documentary or newspaper:
- Dominant, or Preferred, Reading - how the director/creator wants the audience to view the media text;
- Opposition Reading - when the audience rejects the preferred reading, and creates their own meaning of the text;
- Negotiated Reading - a compromise between the dominant and opposition readings, where the audience accepts parts of the director's views, but has their own views on parts as well.
Geographic and demographic factors affect the way audiences read the media text, as well as their personal backgrounds.
References
- Proctor, James. (2004) Stuart Hall, Routledge critical thinkers.