Audience: Reception Theory

 1) What is the preferred reading of a media text?

The literal or surface meaning

2) What is the oppositional reading of a media text?

When someone rejects the preferred meaning and takes it the other way

3) How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?

The Harry Brown trailer shows that teenagers as violent and out of control which makes the audience see them as the bad guys. This encourages the oppositional to reading leading to amuse judge the teenagers harshly and feel sympathetic towards Harry

4) Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

This reading is most likely to be rejected by use because it is unfair stereotyping of teens as violent to them the trail is very exaggerated and one-sided so they often generate an oppositional reading instead

5) Write a 150+ word analysis of the McDonald's advert using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

The following is a McDonald's advertisement for the Big Mac, positioned as other than just fast food; it is "a meal disguised as a sandwich." The preferred reading is that the Big Mac is a high-quality, filling, and satisfying product. The close-up image of the burger, with its neatly stacked layers and fresh-looking ingredients, encourages viewers to see it as appealing, substantial, and worth buying. The copy mentions the "two all-beef patties," "special sauce," and "freshly toasted bun" to make sure the audience marvels at the craftsmanship and taste.

A negotiated reading might accept that the burger looks tempting but remain somewhat sceptical. Viewers may recognize that McDonald's is attempting to make its Big Mac appear premium but still know that these are advertisements and they often stretch facts. They may think the burger looks good in the picture but doubt it will look as flawless in a real-life setting, or they might like McDonald's food yet question how healthy the food truly is.

An oppositional reading completely rejects the message of this ad. For instance, one might interpret this ad as manipulative because McDonald's is selling an unhealthy, mass-produced product by dressing it up with big words. They would interpret the ad to boost over-consumption and show that the company prioritizes profits over public health. According to this view, the slick image conceals nutritional concerns and fast food production realities.