Encoding and Decoding

People process codes automatically in their head, this can be a positive thing or a negative thing since the full meaning is never totally understood, this causing a lot of misunderstanding. Not only does this happen locally but globally as well. There are universal codes and local codes but it is impossible for everything to be understood by everyone.

In Hall's article he writes this misunderstanding or miscommunication and has come up with this own methods of decoding messages they are;
1) dominant-hegemonic position: everything is understood, assumes the responsibility of carefully constructing 'perfect transparent communication' where the viewer ideally takes the encoded meaning and decodes the message using the reference code from which it was constructed
2)negotiated code: global is understood(small local codes are not), still acknowledged the dominate code, operates on its own, more locally situated logic
3)oppositional position:global not understood, smaller local codes are understood, where the viewer takes the coded message and deliberately reads it using opposing framework of understanding to deconstruct the constructed meaning in order to get closer to the truth behind the message being conveyed

The four stages of communication are production,circulation,use and reproduction.

All of this is important in understanding the hidden meaning is things but it is not fool proof it has it problems. Knowing when it use coded meaning or not is the question. But no matter what you do everything is open to interpretation, people will get what they get out of it know matter how you send you message.