Reception theory

Hegemonic reading

The hegemonic reading for this advert would be that it is an inspiring/motivational advert as the typography 'i am what i am' shows 50 cent's confidence in who he is and highlights that he is proud of who he has become. The image of fingerprints within the frame with the brand logo underneath is a sign to represent how 50 cent may have had a rough start but has grown into somebody who is successful and respectable.

Negotiated reading

A negotiated reading may be that some of the audience may understand Reebok's intentions to inspire through the use of a popular figure who has shown growth and maturation, however they may believe that they shouldn't influence young consumers with somebody who has been associated with what they believe is a dark past due to his involvement with drugs and crime.

Oppositional reading

Some audiences may believe the complete opposite of the brands intentions as they may perceive the advert as an exploitation of 50 cent and his life as well as to other 'ordinary' people who may come from the same background or have faced similar experiences. Some consumers may argue that it is unfair to use 50 cent as the main subject for this advert as Reebok know that people from ethnic minorities or people who has a similar early life to 50 cent may not be able to afford such products, and using a public figure they may look up to may make them want the product more, making it more difficult to deal with if they can't get it.

Hegemonic reading

The hegemonic reading for this advert is similar to the first as Nike's aim is to encourage and inspire their audience through using a successful public figure. The fact that they have also used a black woman is deliberate as they are trying to convey how they recognise their importance and don't discriminate. They have also used somebody they believe is a role model to a lot of people to boost their brand image as success will be associated with their brand from this advert.

Negotiated reading

Although the audience may recognise that Nike may have good intentions they may disagree with their choice of celebrity as it is unfair of them to use people from the black community to their own advantage.

Oppositional reading

Some consumers may see the advert from a completely different point of view than what Nike's actual belief is as they may see the advert as exploiting celebrities and 'milking off' of their fame in order to achieve success from themselves. This would mean they view the brand as unethical and untrustworthy as the audience may perceive Nike as portraying fake beliefs.



Do these adverts provide evidence for the idea that audiences are free to interpret messages in a variety of ways - including rejecting them? 

A myth in society is when the connotation of the something is so well established that we don't consider other meanings. The idea of a myth suggests that sources of media, such as the adverts above, can be interpreted in more than one way by audiences. Studying media means looking at the way a sign/text is interpreted and how it comes across to the consumer and the fact that all media is polysemic means that it can be interpreted in different ways as 'poly' means more than one. It is not simply passively accepted by the audience. This is known as the Reception Theory.

Stuart Hall introduced the idea of three different readings -  hegemonic, negotiated and oppositional. A hegemonic reading (also known as the 'dominant' or 'preferred' reading) is what the creator intends for the audience to perceive. The negotiated reading is a middle ground between the producers intentions and the audiences personal view. Lastly, the oppositional reading (also referred to as the 'counter-hegemonic reading') is an alternative reading that is actively against the producers intentions. This means the audience infers the complete opposite of what the producer originally intended to represent.

In both of the adverts i analysed, i have identified that audiences are free to interpret messages in a variety of ways - depending on their own point of view. I know this as both adverts show signs that support all three readings. This means Hall's Reception theory is in fact true as the adverts prove that media can be deciphered in a number of ways based on the individuals opinion. Different viewpoints vary due to a number of factors such as upbringing and location (as different places may have different norms and values).

On the other hand, more viewpoints and opinions are discussed and explored, resulting in the change of attitudes;people become more of accepting of interpretations they once might not have believed. This leads to more people agreeing on things, showing an increased hegemonic reading.

Textual Analysis

What type of text is it?

This comes under more than one category as it is typically known to come under a print as it is a media cover however 'Vogue' can also be accessed through their website online.

How do you know? What are the key conventions that allowed you to identify the text?

I was able to identify this piece of media as a print as it follows many of the key conventions, such as its main headline of the name of the magazine. There are also a number of subheadings which are a feature seen in prints and newspapers. Another main convention that makes it evident that this is a print is the use of a central image and the layout of the subheadings going around it, along the edge of the print. It is is also made clear that this is a print form of media because of the barcode in the lower left corner, along with the price of the magazine(although the location of this may vary, for example, Vogue sometimes put the price at the top of the cover, next to the date). Another feature that makes it recognisable would be that it states the number of pages in the magazine - something vogue often does on their covers (although it isn't included on all of them). The month of the issue is also written at the top of the cover, which allowed me to recognise that this media piece is a print as this is a key convention seen in magazines as well as newspapers.

In your opinion, who is the target audience for this media text?

I think this is might be aimed towards a slightly older, more mature audience because of the topics and themes explored in the magazine, such as gun laws. Another indicator that this is targeted towards an older audience would be the sub-story in the bottom right corner about how to 'repair winter damaged skin' as you wouldn't expect that teens would suffer from that kind of problem. Vogue also make a 'teen vogue' magazine for a younger audience and write about more age-related topics such as tv shows and music. The colours used on 'Vogue' are also more sophisticated as they are more dark and monochrome with the typography in bold, brighter colour. I think Vogues consumers are mainly females aged 18-35.


How would this audience access the text? E.g where/when would they consume it? Using what device?

Consumers can buy a copy of the magazine in shops, however nowadays most things are done through technology so Vogue can be viewed online via their website. Their audience can access this on a number of devices such as: mobile phones, tablets and laptops/computers. This means they can read it at any time of day, as and when they want to(for example, in the morning with their breakfast, during their lunch break at work or in the evening after work).

What values, ideologies and beliefs in society are reinforced or challenged in this media text?

The belief/stereotype that women have to be very feminine and look a certain way and keep up their appearance is reinforced in this text. This is seen in a number of features such as the use of celebrity, Beyonce, wearing make up, and the topic of the sub-stories being based around how women look in the sense of their skin, outfits and make up looks they should try. The use of words such as 'sexy' and 'elegance' are strong indicators of what is expected of women in society.

Reading an image

The repetition of the image of fingerprints and the typography with the short sentence 'i am what i am' creates the idea of identity which could help the brand sell products as it implies that your staying true to yourself by buying products that suit you, which you wouldn't be able to do if you went to another brand.

One of the main subjects being a large image of a famous icon makes this an aspirational advert as it suggests that you can be successful by endorsing in the brands product, just like 50 cent.

The lighting is dark and monotone which is used to force the audience to focus on the details of the image as there are no other distractions. The image being underexposed also catches the audiences eye as it looks mysterious, which would intrigue them to find out more about what is being advertised.

The image of 50 cent is a close up which makes it clear for the audience to see that a popular public figure is proud to be a presenter of the brand, which could encourage people to buy from Reebok.

In the picture of 50 cent he shows a serious expression which mirrors his attitude towards the product, showing that he takes the brand seriously.

Nike has deliberately made Serena Williams the main subject of this advert as she is a well-known, successful figure. This celebrity endorsement means consumers of the advert might want to buy from Nike over other brands as they want to be as successful and skilled as Serena is.

Nike's choice of using Serena Williams may also have been a way of making their audience and customers aware that they don't discriminate and follow the black lives matter movement. This improves their brand image, helping Nike increase their sales as they have good ethical beliefs find desirable.

The audience for this advert is probably made up of many young people of colour as Serena Williams is also a woman of colour, which Nike may believe gives them somebody to look up to and they can relate to the advert. Although this could be an inspirational to young people, i think the target audience is to people of all ages because the typography 'age is just a number' implies that Nike products are made to suit everyone.

My Media Consumption

Newspapers

-i sometimes read/watch bbc news and sometimes look through the daily mail (online rather than in the form of an actual newspaper)
-i usually read articles based around education (eg: changes in the system and the affects they're having/are predicted to have)and politics (eg: decisions leaders around the world are making)as well as other events around the world.
-the only articles i don't usually read would be articles that don't seem interesting/relevant
-i look at bbc news and the daily mail online. i look at them for the stories they cover and just because they appear on more than one media platform (eg: the daily mail is also on snapchat stories)

Magazines

-i don't buy magazines myself but if somebody else in the house buys one i'll occasionally look through them
-i read through celebrity stories/gossip. i usually don't read articles that catch my eye or seem very interesting.

Television

-i spend around 2-3 hours a day watching tv (depending on what i'm watching)meaning i spend around 14-18hours watching tv a week.
-i either watch tv when i get home from school or in the evening
-i like medical/dramas and crime/detective because i find them interesting and i like it when there's a storyline so there's something to follow and predict what might happen next.
-i switch between both. when i watch with people my mum and sister usually decide what to watch.
-i normally watch catch up tv or recorded programmes. i also watch stuff on either my phone or sometimes a laptop/ipad.

Radio

-i don't listen to the radio (unless someone in my family is listening to it and i'm in the car)
-when the radio is playing it's usually kiss or capital fm
-my mum, dad and sister listen to the radio in the car.

Cinema

-the last thing i saw at the cinema was baywatch
-other films i have watched (through netflix and online websites) include:think like a man, the other woman and identity thief
-i watched some movies with friends
-we would usually decide on a film together or watch something that one of us has wanted to see but hasn't gotten to
-i normally use my phone or ipad but sometimes i will use a laptop.

Online

-i access the internet everyday as and when i need to/am required to
i access the internet at home and school and when im out and about.
-the majority of the time i use apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify, YouTube and Netflix (or other online streaming websites)
-the main reasons i access the internet is to find information, communicate with people, to purchase things and for entertainment
-i mainly use my phone and iPad but i also sometimes use a computer/laptop.
-i regularly use Instagram and Snapchat as it allows me to keep in touch and communicate with other people as well as follow celebrities and see a part of their lifestyle. i can also use these apps to find inspiration and look at things i like.

Reflection

-i can develop the amount/variety of media i consume by discussing with other people things we've read or seen that we find interesting and research more into it.
-this year i am going to increase my media consumption by looking into more forms of media and trying to notice features i am learning about as i read/watch new things
-'i'newspaper, black mirror and dexter

first blog task

1) i chose a level media studies as it is something i think i will enjoy and i would need the qualification if i go into filming in the future (i am still undecided whether or not it's what i want to do)

2)i haven't taken media studies before

3)n/a

4) A/A*

5)i'm not sure what i want to do yet but i am leaning towards going to university to possibly study business / media

6) i think Brexit was one of the biggest media stories/headlines of 2017 because of the repercussions it had on other countries and families as well as the controversy it caused

7)the news(TV), social media and the interent

8) To the bone (netflix original movie)

9)i don't have one single favourite but i like '2 broke girls' (it's a comedy)

10)maybe around 3/4hours. i think its about right as the majority of things nowadays happen through social media, such as revision / homework tasks, reading the news and socialising.