Dixon’s analysis of Stuart Hall’s Representation Theory 

Stuart Hall’s Representation Theory chapter in the Media Theory for A Level: The Essential Revision Guide has changed how I think about media and my extra reading around his work has deepened this even further. Hall’s theory pushes representation beyond the idea of media simply “reflecting” reality, arguing instead that meaning is actively constructed through systems of signs. He also suggested that producers encode preferred meanings which audiences then decode in different ways. Through reading more about his encoding/decoding model and his ideas on preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings, I now understand audiences as active interpreters whose social and cultural backgrounds shape how they respond to texts. Additional reading on his work on stereotyping and power has also strengthened my grasp of the theory, as I now see stereotypes not just as clichés but as tools that can “fix” certain marginalised groups into narrow, negative meanings that support dominant ideologies. Overall, combining my original understanding with wider academic commentary from Dixon’s theory book has helped me to apply his theory more confidently in my own analysis, making my interpretations more critical, nuanced and aware of the power dynamics behind seemingly ordinary media representations.