Audience responses - applying reception theory to HYHGP?: A Grenfell Story

Reception theory refers to how producers will ENCODE (or ‘put in’) a specific meaning or ideology in to a media product. However, audiences can interpret or decode these messages in a variety of different ways. An audience’s interpretation of a media product can be influenced by any number of factors, including political beliefs, personal opinions, personality, age, location, sexuality, gender, etc.

We can break down the three primary ways in which audiences can interpret media as

1. Preferred reading - where the audience agrees with the ideological perspective of the producer
2. Oppositional reading - where the audiences disagrees with the ideological perspective of the producer 
3. Negotiated reading - where the audience both agrees with and disagrees with the ideology of the producer

Negotiated responses to A Grenfell Story

The 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower fire

• This episode is probably the most highly regarded of the entire series, and a number of contemporary reviews praised the mature and audacious ways in which the episode treated a particularly distressing event. However, clearly, this episode has the potential to provoke a variety of intensely detailed and negotiated readings. One of the most important contributing factors to this is the relative lack of anchorage presented, with almost no contextual information suggesting what the Grenfell incident even is. This places a significant expectation on behalf of the audience, whether to know about the incident in advance, or at least to have the intention to research the incident after listening. 
• The narrative has a circular or cyclical structure, and begins and ends with the same concept. Starting with a conversation between a teacher and a student, it ends wit the emotionally manipulative scene of the same student talking to her now dead teacher. 
• The music changes throughout, and there is a strong emphasis on the soundtrack. Early on, a smooth R&B soundtrack plays that evolves into a dramatic and cinematic soundtrack. The sound effects throughout reinforce this cinematic reading, yet the acne in particular that underlines the idea that this podcast is ‘a film’ is the very end, where George announces “picture a black screen, like at the end of a film, and the words come up “based on a true story”. These cinematic techniques position the audience in an impactful mode of address. By using the metaphor of a film, George creates a powerful bond to the characters, before destroying it at the end and breaking the fourth wall, and revealing the illusion. This intertextual reference helps audiences to better understand a tragic event.
• Soe audiences may interpret this as being insensitive. By dramatizing an actual event that killed real people, it could be argued that George is profiting off of an event he has no relation to. It is unclear if George is a character in a narrative, or telling the story of someone else. However, George has clearly placed himself in to a story, based on reality. By inserting himself in to the narrative, it can be argued that George forms a connection with his audience, and helps them to understand that this horrific event happened to real people. However an oppositional reading may to take offence at the way the George has made himself the main character of this very particular
•  However, it can also be interpreted that George is absolutely not the main character, but is only slightly related to the narrative. The actual main characters are the teacher and her student, and the relationship that they had with each other. This reinforces the dominant ideology that Grenfell was a tragedy that affected real people 
• The character of the teacher is also a single mother, and the representation of her is surprisingly complex, balanced and positive. Single mothers may be able to identify with her, and may also be affected more intensely by the issues in this radio drama . 
• Reception theory refers to how producers will ENCODE (or ‘put in’) a specific meaning or ideology in to a media product. However, audiences can interpret or decode these messages in a variety of different ways. An audience’s interpretation of a media product can be influenced by any number of factors, including political beliefs, personal opinions, personality, age, location, sexuality, gender, etc
• This episode is probably the most highly regarded of the entire series, and a number of contemporary reviews praised the mature and audacious ways in which the episode treated a particularly distressing event. However, clearly, this episode has the potential to provoke a variety of intensely detailed and negotiated readings. One of the most important contributing factors to this is the relative lack of anchorage presented, with almost no contextual information suggesting what the Grenfell incident even is. This places a significant expectation on behalf of the audience, whether to know about the incident in advance, or at least to have the intention to research the incident after listening. 
• Dominant ideology: to position the audience to be in the position of the real people who died in the Grenfell fire. Based on a true true, George has created a dramatized version of events to affect the audience as much as possible.  
• A point is made that many businesses do not survive past their first year. This fraught conversation between teacher and student constructs realistic and relatable modes of address to both teenagers and students, and middle aged people and teachers. We can negotiate this episode differently based on our upbringing. 
• Different people will be affected differently by facts and events. In particular, audiences who have been directly or indirectly affected by the tragedy will negotiate this episode differently. 
• The incident of the fire is overloaded with criss-crossing speech, sound effects and a depressing film-like soundtrack. Audiences can negotiate this scene in a variety of ways. The preferred reading is of course sympathy, confusion and sorrow. However, a negotiated response may involve the audience questioning exactly what actually happened. Audiences may feel confused and even frustrated by the lack of factual accuracy in the episode 
• Some audiences may find the entire episode disrespectful to the people who actually died. The episode presents a dramatized series of events, constructing a dramatic series of events for the purpose of emotional impact. Some audiences may find it distasteful or even wrong that George is using the event for both financial gain and exposure 
• However a further negotiation would be that although the narrative is complex and maybe manipulative, ultimately it increases exposure of a particularly tragic event. While their are very few facts included in this episode, the audience are encouraged to search out facts and meaning themselves 
• Themes of drug trafficking and crime, and how they relate to young black people in inner city areas are key to this narrative. One way of negotiating this aspect could be to take offence at the stereotypical and highly leading representation of young black people. However it also draws attention to a very real issue, that the victims of the Grenfell fire were overwhelmingly people of colour and vulnerable 
• A negotiated reading of of the opening conversation could be embarrassment at the stereotypical relationship of a student and teacher
• Audiences may be frustrated that this episode is so different from other episodes of George's podcast, as it take the form of drama 
• The ending is sad and emotionally manipulative. George speaks in a croaky voice, directly addressing the audience and telling us we are viewing the end credits. This breaking the fourth wall directly addresses the audience. However, some audiences may be frustrated at this ‘clever’ storytelling technique, that takes them out of the narrative 
• George is essentially a self insert character, and he describes how attractive he is, how good at back massages he is, and also what a good poet he is. A negotiated reading of George’s self-representation could be he detracts from the impact of the disaster and this is absolutely not appropriate 

Active audience readings - Jenkins, Shirky… and George

A fan is somebody who really loves a film, and they show it by making their own stuff (Jenkins)

People don’t just need to watch films anymore, they can make them! And film makers now use the same stuff to make a film as you do! (shirky) 

Applying Shirky to George: Francophone

Shirky argues that the concept of audience has ended, as now everyone is a producer! Clearly we as the general public now have way more opportunities to produce, edit, and distribute media products. But Shirky goes one step further, and argues that media producers have now been shaped by this, and often adopt ‘amateurish’ elements to their products. 

• George uses informal language and address. “Let’s go to the Ivory Coast”, 
• The use of music to create an engrossing mode of address is easily accomplished with digital technology 
• Pointing out parts of the song he particularly likes, creating an enthusiastic and unprofessional mode of address!
• Accent is not posh, and delivery is colloquial and unpolished 
• Talking over the music: often music and dialogue overlap, sometimes making his dialogue indistinct
• This combination of ‘amateurish’ elements creates an authentic and engrossing mode of address for the target audience, which keeps them listening episode after episode. By selecting an artist who is authentic and connects with young people, the BBC desperately hope to attract audiences who otherwise wouldn’t listen to BBC sound (i.e. young people)
• Shirky argues that the concept of audience has ended, as now everyone is a producer! Clearly we as the general public now have way more opportunities to produce, edit, and distribute media products. But Shirky goes one step further, and argues that media producers have now been shaped by this, and often adopt ‘amateurish’ elements to their products. 
• “Here it goes [music suddenly gets louder]. Such audio editing is made extremely simple due to digital technology 
• Use of informal lexis: “Every time that beat drops, I wanna hear the whole song!”
• Admits his own ignorance “I thought this song was Congolese”
• Keeps cutting in and out, deliberately turning up the music
• “And he’s like ‘au revoir’ [laughs] 
• Relaxed vocal delivery 
• An unsophisticated, causal, and engaging mode of address for the target audience is constructed through the ‘amateurish’ mode of address and production values 

Applying Jenkins - Ways in which fans can interact include...

• Prompts for the audience to engage in the episodes themselves (“close your eyes”)
• Comment on youtube videos, for example “you’re an advocate for the people”
• Posting reviews on Reddit
• Creating a fan quiz 
• Posting video responses
• Creating fan art (pickle George!)
• Flash cards…
• The HYHGP book!
• However, there is surprisingly little actual examples of actual fan engagement with the podcast suggest that a) the podcast attracts a niche audience, but also b) the podcast does not encourage active audience engagement

Issues with Shirky’s theory

• Simply saying ‘hey, everyone can make films now’ is technically true, but ultimately it’s a gross oversimplification. The media industries are still alarmingly unequal, and there are many aspects to stop people from achieving financial or critical success
• Assumes that everyone has the same level of education and skill. This is absolutely not true!
• Completely disregards professionals who have devoted their lives to making media
• Budget. The world is very unfair and unequal, and some people have significant advantages 
• Nepotism! Certain people have advantages that other people don’t

Ensuring economic success: How does the trailer to AC: Valhalla target both mainstream and niche audiences?

• High quality, realistic graphics demonstrating very high production values, including blood splatters, physics, fire, water, hair, facial expressions
• Established, pre sold audience for the AC franchise 
• MES of a wrist blade appeals to fans
• Use of cut scenes presents a cinematic and high quality experience to the target audience
• The trailer refuses to show more videogame elements, such as stats, HUDs, menus, exploration etc to appeal to new audiences and to not confuse them
• Trailer looks like a film trailer, not a videogame! The trailer therefore can target film fans!
• Intertextuality to other media products such as Vikings, Rome, Game Of Thrones, God Of War. All these references allow the trailer to target new audiences!
• Graphics are of a particularly high quality, with extremely high production values. Effects such as blood splatter, water effects, fire effects and especially hair!
• However, the footage from the trailer is not ‘in game footage’, but instead is a cinematic or a cut scene. This allows the producer to show off the highest quality aspects of this game 
• Trailer looks a movie rather than a game, than helps the advert to appeal to a wider audience who may not be familiar with videogames 
• A clear and well defined narrative with antagonists, protagonists and binary oppositions 
• Camera angles, editing and MES all suggest high production values typical of a AAA studio 
• Trailer uses conventions of action films and historical epics, and specifically resembles shows, films and videogames like Vikings, God Of War, Game of Thrones (intertextual reference) 
• References to social media and other videos at the end (digital convergence) 

Violence and the Assassin's Creed franchise

Examples of violence: how does AC: Mirage cultivate an ideological perspective that violence is acceptable?

• An explicit and unflinching shot of a man being stabbed in the neck, with realistic blood splatter. This is presented to the audience as a minor event
• Indirect forms of violence, for example poisoning with a poison dart, reinforces the ideology that violence can be discrete and sophisticated 
• The sheer amount of death in the video is somehow justified by a binary opposition between good and evil, where it is assumed that the professional assassin is good….
• The objective of the mission is to murder. The verb ‘assassinate’ is used many times 
• The verb ‘assassinate’ frequently appears as a contextual action, as opposed to hugging, kissing, or simply talking 
• The sheer number of people killed in just a few minutes, at least 2 a minute 
• Climbing walls and jumping off buildings is alarming behaviour, and may encourage imitable behaviour 
• The protagonist is an assassin: a paid murderer. He is represented as the ‘good guy’, and the passive guards are ‘bad’. This reinforces the ideology that violence is good and appropriate
• Violence is presented in a stylish manner, with attractive movements, and stylish bursts of blood 
• Killing is made easy through being presented as a single button press, and there is not representation of the aftermath and the trauma that comes from killing

To even move around in Assassin's Creed: Mirage is a proairetic encoding of violence. The verbs to interact with the world, climbing, jumping, stabbing, are all violent and active, yet also are all commonplace in videogames. While violent videogames may not make violent people, they clearly cultivate an ideological perspectives that violence is normal, acceptable and commonplace

Dominant ideology:  That violence is acceptable as long as it is justified through certain situations 

• The role of an assassin is presented in a positive light 
• Some people are good (eg the player), some people are bad (eg the slave owner), and some people deserve to die 
• There is no discernable political perspective in this game, just good and bad people, which the producer hopes is unlikely to offend anybody
• The game isn’t real! The violence isn’t real, and fantasy violence is different from real violence 
• The only appropriate response to a bad situation is to sneak and to kill. Negotiation is never an option 
• Baghdad is a violent and yet exciting place 

Preferred reading - agree with the ideology of the producer

Oppositional reading - disagree with the ideology of the producer

Negotiated reading - both agree and yet disagree 

Negotiated responses to AC Mirage 

• While the game has a focus on crime and murder, there are many opportunities for players to do different things, for example climbing buildings and exploring. Some players will enjoy this aspect of the game far more than the combat
• This game could potentially cultivate the ideology that certain people should be dealt with with violence 
• Players may negotiate the violence as being fun, and even silly. The violence is often over the top, theatrical, and ridiculous, and it is unlikely that many players would equate this violence with real world violence
• The violence is boring, and actually brings the game down. It would be better if there were other modes and ways of playing… but it is interesting viewing the architecture 
• It is frustrating being forced to play as a single character, even through the stealth is great!
• The middle eastern setting may be relatable to certain audiences! It is fun and exciting to see you and your location represented! However, the same player may have to negotiate the potentially problematic representation 
• Certain players may be frustrated with the lack of plot, yet they may also enjoy the more refined gameplay mechanics 

However, even through AC is filled with contentious violence, the developers have included a discovery mode in many of the games, eg Valhalla, which allows even younger players to explore and to have fun with no threat of violence. This kind of accessibility feature is only made possible through digital technology. This mode has proven extremely popular with parents and children, providing a completely new experience. Such a mode is only possible however in AAA games 

BONUS VIOLENCE - Criticisms of the effects model and of Bandura’s study

Conclusion of study: that violent media has a direct influence on it’s audiences 

• However, children are affected in completely different ways as they lack development, both cognitive and social
• Assuming that violence only occurs in media, and in one form is highly reductive
• The experiment arguably doesn’t model violence, but models play
• The media is highly structured and doesn’t resemble a film or TV show
• Imitable behaviour
• Conclusion of the experiment: that media has a direct effect on audiences
• The experiment was carried out on children who are fundamentally different, immature, still developing and vulnerable
• A big bouncy floppy doll is not the same as a human, and therefore the results cannot be evenly applied
• Children are potentially unable to differentiate between media and real life, which means ultimately the results must be questioned
• The video is wholly instructional, and does not resemble other forms of media
• The theory and the experiment are vital in proving that certain people MUST be protected by regulations, including the very young and the vulnerable, for example people with MH issues

Better theories than the effects model

• The reception model argues that there are many multiple responses to different media products and audiences can negotiate different responses
• Cultivation theory argues that prolonged exposure to media can gradually shape our ideologies and can eventually desensitise audiences 

Audience negotiations of Assassin’s Creed: Mirage

Preferred readings

• Violence is sometimes acceptable, and in fact violence is normalised through the constant representation of violence. Audiences will interpret that violence is only acceptable if it is for a good cause, for example rescuing a woman.

Negotiated readings 

• While audiences may have anti violent and pacificist ideologies, audiences will negotiate the violence in this game based on it’s fictitious status. Simply put, most audiences can separate fact from fiction
• Other audiences may agree that violence is acceptable, yet stealing is absolutely not (!)
• Other audiences may identify with the criminal protagonist, and while they would never commit crimes themselves, may in turn look upon crime more favourable 
• Further audiences may reject violent readings and playstyles, and instead explore the historically accurate setting of Baghdad 
• Middle Eastern audiences may be delighted at the representation of the middle east, even if it is somewhat stereotypical  
• While parents may disapprove of younger audiences playing such a violent game, the detailed discovery and history modes in games like Mirage and Valhalla allow very young children to enjoy and to explore these games in a completely different way. This extremely negotiated experience is only made possible through digital technology, and is only really possible for videogames