Useful Media Theories

Theory/Concept	Brief Explanation	Relevant to… (Print/Video/Website)
Reception Theory (preferred/negotiated/oppositional reading	Audience theory: audiences are active and respond to media texts independently and differently.	All
Encoding/Decoding	Audience theory: how meaning is created and understood in a text.	All
Postmodernism	All texts are influenced by those that come before - something is ‘original’ due to the new way it represents existing themes and conventions.	All
Uses and Gratifications (Denis McQuail)	Audience theory: audiences are active and use media texts for different reasons/pleasures.	All
Barthes: Narrative codes (Enigma, referential, sequential etc.)	Narrative theory: how meaning is created and understood in a text.	All
Levi Strauss:  Binary Opposites	Narrative theory: how meaning is created through the use of opposites.	All
Laura Mulvey:  Male Gaze	Feminist theory: representation of women in the media.	All
Todorov:  Narrative Structure	Narrative theory:  states that narratives have set stages, which are recognisable.	Video
Dyer:  Star Theory	Popstars are constructs/commodities that are sold to audiences.	Print
Gramsci: Hegemony	Dominant ideologies and beliefs are constructed by those with power and projected to those with less ‘power’.	All
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Motives	Audience theory: audiences are motivated to use media products for different reasons/motives.	All
Propp:  Character Functions	Stereotypical character functions within a text.	All
Fiske:  Genre	How and why we have the categorization of texts.	All
Archetypes	Characters/representation theory: Archetypes are prototypes, from which other characters/artists are constructed.	All
Mode of Address	How a text communicates with the audience.	All
Desensitisation Theory	Audiences are no longer shocked by what they see in the media as they have become desensitised.	All

 

Useful websites:

·         http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=audience

·         http://homepage.ntlworld.com/deemcintosh/mediatheorists.htm

·         http://www.theory.org.uk/

·         http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/westturner/student_resources/theories.htm