Stuart Hall's reception theory claims that media texts are encoded and decoded. The producer embeds messages and ideals in their medium, which the audience decodes. Various audience members, on the other hand, will decode the media in different ways, potentially not in the way the creator intended. According to Stuart Hall, while decoding the text, audience members choose one of three positions:
Preferred Reading, or Dominant Reading - is the way the producer wants the audience to see the media material. If the messages are clear and the audience members of the same age and culture, if the storey has an easy to follow storyline, and if it deals with topics that are important to the audience, audience members will take this stance.
Oppositional Reading - When the audience rejects the recommended reading and invents their own interpretation of the text, this is known as Oppositional Reading. This can occur if the media provides content that is controversial and with which the audience member disagrees. It can also occur when the media has a complicated narrative framework that does not address contemporary issues. Oppositional reading can also arise when a member of the audience holds opposing opinions, is of a different age, or belongs to a different culture.
Negotiated Reading - a middle ground between dominant and oppositional readings, in which the audience accepts some of the producer's points of view while also having their own. This can happen if a mix of factors exist, such as an audience member who enjoys the media, is your age, and understands parts of the themes, but the storey is convoluted, preventing full comprehension.
