Audience Theories

Reception Theory: Stuart Hall created the Theory of Reception which asserts that media texts are encoded by a producer - a producer is someone who plans and creates a products for a specific target audience and then sells it to that audience, it is possible that the product can be a physical object or a media text (such as a book or a movie) - the encoded message is then given to the audience, who then decode it. There are three ways the audience can decode the message:

• Preferred - this is where the audience agrees with what the producer wants the audience to believe. This position is normally taken if the message from the producer is clear and respectable. In an debate, it is common that the majority of the audience will side with the 'producer' that has a reliable and trustworthy argument rather than taking an oppositional stand-point.
• Oppositional - this is where the audience rejects the message that the producer is trying to convey. This normally occurs if the message is controversial but can also occur when the media text has a complex narrative. 
• Negotiated - this is a mix of both preferred and oppositional, also can be interpreted as the audience accepting parts of the producer's message and rejecting other parts. It is also possible that the audience can have a completely neutral stand-point.

The main factors that could affect the audiences' views of the message are:

• Age
• Beliefs
• Culture
• Gender
• Life Experience and,
• Mood at the time of viewing

(Created by Holly Ward & Alice Ker)

Does it apply to my idea?

The reception theory doesn't really apply to my multi-camera idea, this is because the premise of the game with already be explained to the audience upon them watching the show (the aims of the mini games will all be explained and it is unlikely that the games will be controversial in anyway) meaning that they will not need to decode any messages. However, there could be a part that audience wishes to 'decode', this is whether the audience actually likes the product itself. Although they might be part of my target audience, it is not necessary or realistic that everybody in my target audience likes the content - for example, the audience might like the mini games but dislike the presenter or guests.

Two-Step Flow Theory: 

(Created by Nathan Burgess Johnson & Caitlin Groves)

Hypodermic Needle Theory: 

(Created by Alex Beadle & Tom Fletcher)