Audiencesoftenrespondindiverseandunexpectedways.

Towhatextentisthistrueofyourcrossmedia
area?
Itisinevitablethataudienceswillrespondindifferentwaystomediatexts,andthisisbecausetextsare
polysemic(StuartHall)andthereforeofferawideinterpretation.AllthreemediatextsIhavechosenare
mainstreamandtheinstitutionsarefinanciallymotivated.Althoughtheyareconstructedforaspecific
targetaudience,thedocumentarieshavetoreachabroadaudienceascommodities.Documentariesasa
genre,preferablywanttheaudiencetohaveaclosedviewastheyaresupposedtobefact.Theaudience
areallpositionedtoshareasimilarviewonthedocumentaryandhavethepreferredreading(Hall).
The12YearOldLifer(Channel4)isconstructedtopositionaudiencestohavethepreferredreadingof
sympathyforPaul,andtoconsidertheethicalissueswitha12yearoldincarceratedinprison.This
preferredreadingiscontinuallyenforcedthroughoutthedocumentary,astherearemanyinterviewswith
Paulsfamilyandaheavyfocusonhisunhappinessinprison.DuringaninterviewwithPaulsmother,
shesaysyoucantthrowachildinwithadultsandexpecthimnottogetscrewedup(verbalcode).This
verbalcodeexemplifiesthepreferredreadingofthedocumentary,topositiontheaudiencetofeel
shockedattheextremityofthejailsentenceandthereforecausetheaudiencetofeelsympathyforPaul,
andquestionethicalissueswiththeAmericanjusticesystem.ThispreferredreadingisdisplayedbyThe
Guardian,statingthatoneconclusiondidseemratherobvious:thiswasacrimecommittedbychildren,
notadults.ThisisanexampleofthepreferredreadingwhichfocusesonPaulsageandhisyouthfulness,
ratherthantheseverityofthecrimehehascommitted.However,someoftheaudiencemayhavethe
opposedreading(Hall),andfeelthedocumentaryhasbeenconstructedtopositiontheaudiencetofeela
certainwayandthatthedocumentarymanipulatesaudiencestothinkofrealpeopleascertaincharacter
functions(Propp,narrativeconvention),forexample,Paulastheprincess,needinghelp.Audiencesmay
havethisopposedreadingbecauseoftheextremeamountofinformationinthedocumentaryfromPauls
family,interviews(documentaryconvention)withhismotherandsisters,andlessinformationfromthe
victimsfamily.Inaddition,thevisualcodesofthebinaryopposition(Strauss)betweenthegreydark
coloursinthejailandbrightcoloursinPaulshomedisplayacleardifferenceinPaulslife,whichcould
causeaudiencestohavetheopposedreadingthatPaulhasbeenconstructedtoappearinnocentand
positionaudiencestohaveacertainview.Channel4oftencommissiondocumentariesthatfocuson
vulnerablepeopleandextremeexperiencesbecausetheyhavetoremaincommerciallycompetitive,and
thereforetheirdocumentariesareoftenopportunisticandvulgarandappealtovoyeuristicspectatorship.
ThisisbecauseChannel4hasacomplexremitduetotheirdualitytotheirexistence,beingapublic
serviceinstitutionwhichiscommerciallyfunded.Increasedcompetitionfromotherinstitutionshas
causedChannel4tobecomemorecommercialandthereforeconstructdocumentariestoappearacertain
way,notpresentingthetruth.Thiscouldcausetheoppositionalreadingtothedocumentaryasaudiences
couldfeeltheyarepositionedtosharethesameview,notallowingabroadinterpretation.
StaceyDooleyintheUSA(BBCThree)isadocumentaryexploringthedisparityincultureandtheclass
divisioninAmerica.Thepreferredreading(Hall)oftheinsighttotheseveredifferencebetweenclassesin
Americaispresentedthroughthebinaryopposition(Strauss,narrativeconvention)intheverbalcodeof
theycantplayontheirlocalbasketballcourt,becausetherearetoomanyshootings.Thecontrast
betweenplayingbasketballandshootingscausestheaudiencetohavethepreferredreading,feeling

sympathyfortheteenagersaffectedbythisconsistentcrimeandfeelingshockedandsaddenedbythe
extremityoftheeventsthatoccursoofteninthissectionofAmerica.Inaddition,thevisualcodeof
StaceyDooleybecomingemotionalwhendiscussingtheshootingthathadjustoccurred,positionsthe
audiencetohavethepreferredreadingandfeelempathyfortheteenagers.Inaddition,theBBCiPlayer
websitedoesnotallowaudiencestoleavecommentandgiveanopposedview.Thisforcesthemtoaccept
thepreferredreadingforthedocumentaryandnotexpresstheirviewsonthedocumentaryonthe
institutionswebsite.Contrastingly,audiencesmayhavetheoppositionalreading(Hall)tothe
documentarybecauseofStaceyDooley.Staceydoesnothaveavoicethatisstereotypicallyintelligent,
withastrongSouthLondonaccent(verbalcode)andaudiencesmayinterpretthisastheBBCattempting
toattractayoungeraudience,adifficultaudiencefortheBBC,bycastingayoungpresenter.Audiences
mayalsohavetheoppositionalresponsebecausetheBBCisarespectedcompany,buthavechosena
presenterwhoisnotrecognisednorhasauthority.Onlinecommentshaveanchoredthisoppositional
responsedescribingherasaLutonsinkestatecheckoutgirl.Thisdisplaystheoppositionalreading
(Hall),thathervoicedistractstheaudiencefromtheinformationinthedocumentaryandcausesaudience
tothinkthatStaceyissimplyanattempttoengageayoungeraudience.
CelebrityBigBrother(Channel5)immediatelycausessomeaudiencestohavetheoppositionalreading
(Hall)duetothefactthatChannel4wouldnotcommissionthedocumentaryanylonger,becauseithad
beenoversaturated.Thistaintstheprogrammeforcertainviewers.However,Channel5realisedthe
documentaryhadsomeresidualvalue.Audiencesmayhavetheoppositionalviewofthedocumentaryas
audiencesarecynicallyawarethatCelebrityBigBrothernotablyrelyonZlistcelebritiesandhave
awarenessthatthedocumentaryhasgonethroughmediationtoconstructcertaincharacterfunctions
(Propp).Thisconstructionofcharacterfunctionsisdepictedinepisode10ofseries15,wherePerez
HiltonclaimeditwasthePerezshow(verbalcode).Thisdepictedhimasthetypicalegoisticalvillain,
withastrongsenseofhisselfimportance.Thisclearconstructionofcharacterfunctionsmaycause
audiencestohavetheoppositionreadingastheyknowthedocumentaryhasgonethroughasevere
processofmediationandthereforenotrepresentingreality.CelebrityBigBrotheralsousestechnical
codesofmontageeditingtoquickenthepaceoftheprogrammeandmakeitentertainingandexcitingfor
audiences.Thiscouldcauseaudiencestohaveanegotiatedreading(Hall)astheywatchthedocumentary
forthesimpleescapist(Katz)pleasuresbutdonothaveanyrealinterestinthepeopleorbelievethey
haveanyprofoundimportance.CelebrityBigBrotherisanestablisheddocumentaryandbrandand
thereforemaynotgeneratemanyunexpectedaudiencesasaudiencesareawareofthecontent.Audiences
forCelebrityBigBrotherarepredominantlygoingtobepreferredandnegotiated(Hall).
Inconclusion,theleveltowhichaudiencesrespondindifferentwaysiscloselyrelatedtohowestablished
thetextis.Textsthatarehybridscansometimesappealtoawideraudienceandthereforegenerateamore
diverseandunexpectedaudience.