Theory

Stanley Cohen- Moral Panics: A theory suggested by Stanley Cohen a media theorist who published his book the 'Folk Devils and Moral Panics' in 1972. His theory stated that "condition, episode, person or group are defined as a threat to societal values and interests". He said that the media play a massive role in enforcing moral panics at all times. He also suggested that the media overreact an aspect of radical behaviour that is against the norm however they portray it as a model for people to follow.

Hypodermic needle theory:  Is the theory that suggests that mass media has a direct and powerful effect on its audience. It was a very prominent theory in the 1940s & 1950s which saw a strong influence on behavioural change. It says the media can directly 'shoot' or 'inject' the audience with appropriate messages designed to trigger a response.

Albert Bandura- Media Effects Theory: is the idea the media plant ideas in the audience's head directly and was suggested by theorist Albert Bandura. He thought that audiences gain their attitudes, responses and conduct themselves based on what they see in the media.

George Gerbner- Cultivation theory: is the theory that the more time audiences spend viewing television the more likely they are to believe and accept that the messages they are promoting are true. Heavy viewers are more subset-able to violence and aggression and are therefore are affected by the mean world syndrome (the belief that the world is far worse and more dangerous place than it actually is).

Stuart Hall- Reception theory: is the theory that media texts are coded with messages that can be understood in different ways by the audience who must decode them. Preferred reading is when the text is read in the way the producer intended it to meaning the audience agrees with their ideas. Negotiated reading is the compromise between dominant and oppositional where the audience accepts the ideas but has their on opinion on the text swell causing them to neither agree or disagree. Oppositional reading is where the audience rejects the producers ideas and creates their own opinion usually opposite to what the producer had causing the audience to completely reject the producers intended message.

Roland Barthes- Semiotics theory:  is the theory that the audience looks for signs to help them interpret the story line of the media and these signs are based on expectations the audience has due to previous knowledge/ stereotypes.