Xun Zhu (Vertin）
Introduction
Welcome to Media Insights, I’m Vertin, and today we’re going to talk about a classic theory: Stuart Hall’s “code/decode” model. This theory offered a new perspective on cultural studies in the 1970s, but in today’s digital age of stuffed algorithmic recommendations and fake news, can it continue to apply? Or does it need to be updated? Today we will think together.
podcast outline
1.Theoretical explanation and background
Introduction to Hall’s “encoding/decoding” theory – The encoding and decoding process of information: three interpretation methods: dominant, negotiated, and oppositional.
Background of theory proposal: communication research perspective in traditional media environment.
2.Significance in contemporary media
The continuation of audience initiative. Case analysis of Gillette advertisement: How to form collective action through opposite interpretations.
How can algorithms redefine the audience’s interpretation path through recommendation mechanisms? How can platform rules and user behaviors jointly “encode” content?
3.Critical thinking and limitations
The implicit reproduction of algorithmic power: How platform algorithms affect the priority of information “visibility” (such as the echo chamber effect of Facebook).
Inequality in technological literacy and decoding ability. The case of COVID-19 vaccine information dissemination: How cultural and technological gaps exacerbate the information gap.
4.Summary and suggestions
Contemporary value of theory
Future prospects and suggestions
Further reading
These are the relevant events I mentioned in the podcast below, and you can read further about the events if you’re interested.
BoycottGillette
In 2019, Gillette launched an advertisement titled “The Best Men Can Be”, focusing on reflecting on toxic masculinity. The coding intention of this advertisement is obviously to advocate healthy gender concepts. However, some audiences regarded it as a belittlement of the male image through opposite interpretations and launched the BoycottGillette movement on social media.
Facebook’s recommendation algorithm
An article points out that Facebook’s business model profits from the spread of extremism, bullying, hate speech, false information, conspiracy theories, and rhetorical violence by creating “filter bubbles” – social media algorithms designed to increase engagement and thus create echo chambers where the most inflammatory content gains the greatest visibility.
False information about vaccines during COVID-19
In rural areas of India, false information about vaccines was widely spread during COVID-19. Some villagers refused vaccination due to a lack of scientific knowledge and media interpretation ability regarding vaccines.
Reference list
- García Canclini, N.（2008）. Hybrid cultures. Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota Press.
- Hall, S.（2006）.‘Encoding/Decoding’，in Durham, M.G. & D. Kellner (2006), Media and Cultural Studies: Key works, Malden, MA: Blackwell, pp.163-173.
- Hall, S.（1982）.‘The Rediscovery of `Ideology’: Return of the Repressed in Media Studies’ in M. Gurevitch, T. Bennett, J. Curran & J. Woollacott (eds.) Culture, Society and the Mass Media. London: Routledge, pp. 56-90.
- Kellner, D. (1995). ‘Cultural Studies,Multiculturalism and Media Culture’. In Dines, G. & Humez, J.M. (eds.), Gender, Race and Class in Media. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, pp. 5-17.
- McLuhan, M. (1994). Understanding media: The extensions of man. MIT press.
- Pariser, E. (2011). The filter bubble: What the Internet is hiding from you. penguin UK.
Your blog is really good! You connect Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding theory with modern media stuff like algorithmic recommendations and misinformation. Using diverse and relevant case studies, like the Gillette ad and Facebook’s echo chambers, really shows how the theory is still relevant today, while also pointing out its limits in the digital age. The mix of theory and practical examples makes your argument both interesting and easy to understand. Great job linking complex ideas to real-world situations! I like this blog format and thank you for sharing!