Reception theory

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

The message the producer wants you to take from a media text.

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

The opposing reading to the reading the producers intended

Re-watch the trailer for the film Harry Brown:

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

It positions the audience to feel resent towards the teenage characters and to take a away a message that young people are violent and dangerous.

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

The young people watching this film probably aren't violent and aggressive so they would deny the preferred reading and most likely construct an oppositional reading as they know what it is like and would assume different things.

Look at this McDonald's advert:

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

The preferred reading of this media text might be that there are lots of aspects and ingredients to the burger and that it is full of all of the things that you need to eat, for example vitamins and carbohydrates. It also suggests that the burger is tasty and that you should buy it. The negotiated reading of this media text might be that it is too filling and difficult to eat because of all of the ingredients. It also might suggest that you don't need to eat anything with it or other than it, just that burger alone. The oppositional reading of this media text might be that MacDonald's are deceiving their customers and lying to them. It also might be that the burger is actually wearing a disguise and that that isn't actually what it looks like or tastes like. It also might be that it is actually a full meal and has multiple different foods in one burger and isn't just a burger.