The image above shows a collage I created on Photoshop to display my interests and begin to understand how the application works. When creating this collage I have applied both of Stuart Hall's theories - representation and reception:
Stuart Hall's Representation Theory:
In his representation theory Stuart Hall suggested that media producers use specific signs, symbols, language and stereotypes to construct versions of reality that reflect their values and beliefs. This applies to my collage as I have used a mix of images - all which act as symbols for meaning - to display my interests and hobbies. For example, the Sam Fender Record and spotify icon can be decoded to suggest my love for music, while the McLaren logo and Lando Norris helmet represent my passion for formula 1. The combination of all the meanings presented by these signs combine to create a version of reality in which I am perceived how I want to be - showing how my power as a producer affects the representation created by a text.
Stuart Hall's Reception Theory:
Stuart Hall also developed a reception theory to explain how active audiences decode the messages they are given by media producers. He suggested that an individual's cultural, social and economic context affects how they interpret meanings encoded within media texts. Audiences can have either a preferred reading (where they fully understand and accept the intended message), a negotiated reading (where they understand the intended message but slightly alter it to fit their personal ideologies), or an oppositional reading (where they understand the intended message but reject it completely). This theory applies to my collage as it explains how people may view me differently despite all being shown the same symbols. For example, while one person may interpret the aeroplane image to suggest I enjoy travelling and exploring new places (the preferred reading), someone else may see it and conclude that I am unaware and unbothered by the environmental impact of holidaying abroad (the oppositional reading).
