Reception Theory on Websites

www.bbc.co.uk - This website explores a wide range of different topics from current affairs to entertainment, lifestyle and sports. The audience who would take the preferred reading would be people from ages 20 to 55 from A to C2 class. These people are likely to have an interest in reading about the news and it's wide range of topics including politics and sport, depending on the individual. People in the audience taking a negotiated view are likely to be younger and slightly lower in the socio economic scale, from ages 15 to 30 in class B to D. This is because they would use the site as a way of finding out about entertainment news and catching up on their favourite TV shows and celebrities. They may not be as interested in the main news or 'knowledge' section of the site but they would use it as a place to access TV clips and shows. Thirdly, the oppositional view would be taken by younger children who are unlikely to understand the topics explored on the site. 

www.asos.com - ASOS is a clothing website which sells a wide range of different brands aimed at all ages as well as their own unbranded products. The audience taking the preferred reading from this site are likely to be aged 15 to 35 in class B to C2. The clothes sold on the site are considered as trendy and fashionable which people from these groups will be looking to purchase. The producer has used eye catching visual codes promoting a sale as well as language like 'FINAL CLEARANCE' which make the audience feel as if they can't miss out on the offer and that they should look at purchasing something. The people taking a negotiated reading from ASOS are likely to be aged 40 - 60 in class B to D. This group is less likely to keep up to date with fashion and the latest trends but may look on the website occasionally to buy clothes at a reasonable price, in events like the 70% sale which is shown in the screenshot above. Finally, the oppositional reading will be taken by people at low and high ages such as 0 - 12 and 65 - 80. These people are unlikely to be interested in the clothes that are sold by ASOS as they are more associated with people of a younger or older age in respectively. These people would not feel attracted by sales and reductions as much as the audiences who take the preferred and negotiated reading as they probably wear clothes of a similar style and are aware of the majority of the brands sold.

www.youtube.com - YouTube is a popular website which is often used for entertainment and informative purposes by the audiences engaged. The audience taking the preferred reading are likely to be people from ages 13 - 28 who will be in classes C1 - E. This audience would use YouTube as a platform to watch videos that they would consider amusing or interesting due to their interests in the topics involved. This could be anything from video games to sports and music. The producer attracts this audience and leads them to take a preferred reading due to sections such as "Recommended for you" which is displayed on the homepage. It takes into account the viewing history of the user and finds other videos which they may also find entertaining.