Reception Analysis Model | Media | AQA A-Level Sociology

This key topic video summarises what AQA A Level Sociology students who take the Media option need to know about the reception analysis model of how the media influences audiences.

VIDEO SUMMARY

The video introduces the reception analysis model which assumes an active audience that interprets media messages based on their personal experiences and knowledge.

Moley's research identified 3 types of media interpretation: preferred reading where the audience conforms to the dominant view, oppositional reading where the audience challenges the message, and negotiated reading where the audience critically analyzes the message and forms a balanced view.

The model explains how the same media message can have different meanings for different people. An example is how people interpreted COVID-19 media messages - most conformed to the preferred reading, some were openly critical (oppositional), and others formed a negotiated view agreeing with some aspects but not others. Positively, the model promotes a diverse, postmodern view of media interpretation.

However, Moley's study lacked ecological validity as participants viewed media in an artificial environment. The model explains how media consumption can shape individual ideologies, but there is a question of whether ideologies shape media choice or vice versa.