Task One

Media Language

Semiotics: Roland Barthes

• The idea that texts communicate their meanings through a process of signification.
• The idea that signs can function at the level of denotation, which involves the ‘literal’ or common-sense meaning of the sign, and at the level of connotation, which involves the meanings associated with/suggested by the sign.
• The idea that constructive meaning can come to seem self-evident, achieving the status of myth through a process of naturalisation.

Narratology: Tzvetan Todorov

• The idea that all narratives share a basic structure that involves a movement from one state of equilibrium to another.
• The idea that these two states of equilibrium are separated by a period of imbalance or disequilibrium.
• The idea that the way in which narratives are resolved can have particular ideological significance.

Genre theory: Steve Neale

• The idea that genres may be dominated by repetition, but are also marked by difference, variation and change.
• The idea that genres change, develop and vary, as they borrow from and overlap with one another.
• The idea that genres exist within specific economic, institutional and industrial contexts.

Representation

Theories of representation: Stuart Hall

• The idea that representation is the production of meaning through language, with language defined in its broadest sense as a system of signs.
• The idea that the relationship between concepts and signs is governed by codes.
• Stereotyping, as a form of representation, reduces people to a few simple characteristics or traits
• The idea that stereotyping tends to occur when there are inequalities of power, as subordinate or excluded groups are constructed as ‘different’ or ‘other’

Theories of identity: David Gauntlett

• The idea that the media provides us with tools or resources that we use to construct our own identities.
• The idea that while in the past the media tended to convey singular, straightforward messages about ideal types of male and female identities, the media today offer us a more diverse range of stars, icons and characters from whom we may pick and mix different ideas.

Industry

Power & Media Industries: Curran and Seaton

• The idea that the media is controlled by a small number of companies’ primarily driven by the logic of profit and power.
• The idea that media concentration generally limits or inhibits variety, creativity and quality.
• The idea that more socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions.

Audiences

Media Effects: Albert Bandura

• The idea that the media can implant ideas in the mind of the audience directly.
• The idea that audience acquire attitudes, emotional responses and new styles of conduct through modelling.
• The idea that representations of transgressive behaviour, such as violence or physical aggression, can lead audience members to imitate those forms of behaviour.

Cultivation Theory: George Gerbner

• The idea that exposure to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of time can shape and influence the way in which people perceive the world around them.
• The idea that cultivation reinforces mainstream values.

Reception Theory: Stuart Hall

• The idea that communication is a process involving encoding by producers and decoding by audiences.
• The idea that there are three types of hypothetical positions from which messages and meanings may be decoded:
  • The dominant-hegemonic position: the encoder’s intended meaning (the preferred meaning) is fully understood and accepted.
  • The negotiated position: the legitimacy of the encoder’ message is acknowledged in general terms, although the message is adapted or negotiated to better fit the decoders own individual experiences or context
  • The oppositional position: the encoders message is understood, but the decoder disagrees with it, reading it in a contrary or oppositional way.

Task Two

1. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Media Language in your Advertising texts (Water Aid and Tide), applying two theorists (choose from – Barthes, Todorov or Neale)

The Tide advert shows the literal meaning of the product advertisement to be aimed at women during the 50s. It represents that stereotypical women were meant to ‘love’ the product, through the use of hearts and the main image of the woman smiling whilst hugging the product. Neale’s theory also show that the use of primary colours is to appeal to the stereotypical housewife at the time and would be familiar to child-like colours. The social contexts at the time showed that media repeatedly targeted women for these products because of the belief of the roles of the housewife at the time. The economical contexts also suggest that the post-war boom saw many families having a more disposable income and therefore about to finally spend money on such luxury items.

Water-aid uses Todorovs basic narrative theory to create understanding on the issue of water supply in Africa. The advert starts in Britain to familiarise audiences with the surroundings and then perceeds to represent Claudia and the lack of water in the area. The resolution is seen to be the water-aid taps installed in the community, and continues the equilibrium through persuading the audience to donate money for more people like Claudia. Barthes’ theory presents the literal meaning of advertising water-aid through a pitied perspective, whilst the connotations of this mention the song “Sunshine on a rainy day”, linking Britain to Africa to link audiences with the cause.

2. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Representation in your Advertising texts applying two theorists (apply Hall and Gauntlett)

Representation is explored in the Tide advert as Gauntlett’s theory of identity shows that the media provides us with tools and resources to construct our own identities. Past media tends to convey straightforward messages about female identities and that media today is more diverse. Tide uses a woman to represent the target audience of the product as well as makeup to reinforce the idea of women to always ‘look appealing’. These representations, reinforced by Hall’s theory shows that the stereotypical vision of a housewife was a normal belief at the time the product and advertisement was made. Water-aid uses a pitied representation approach to show the stereotypes of typical vulnerable people in Africa. However, Water-aid also challenge traditional representations through the use of Claudia’s upbeat singing. Gauntlett’s theory of identity shows that it provides us with a more diverse advertising and representations. Claudia acts as a role model to audiences.

3. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Media Language in your Music Video text (Beyonce – Formation) applying two theorists (Barthes, Todorov or Neale).

In Beyonces music video, it uses media language to communicate meaning. Barthes’ theory shows that Beyonce has incorporated intertextuality within her video to represent the level of oppression that being an African American women brings. Scenes referencing films, historical references to slavery and Hurricane Katrina show elements of Beyonces understanding to surrounding issues in the world. Neale’s theory is disputed in this music video as it constrasts traditional mainstream music videos by the wider contexts of which the video references. Beyonce is also trying to develop the genre through creating a niche subject and making it popular within the large media industry. This can be seen on a wider level with music videos such as ‘This is America’ by Childish Gambino being released 2 years after.

4. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Representation in your Music Video text applying two theorists (Hall and Gauntlett)

In Beyonces music video “Formation”, there is a use of representation as well as challenging traditional and stereotypical representations of African American women. Hall’s representation theory implies that stereotyping reduces people to a few simple characteristics. However, in Beyonces music video she shows these stereotypes by a line of women all wearing similar clothing. The use of this shot is to empower and address the mainstream and traditional media that the representations of women are inaccurate. Gauntlett’s theory of identity shows that the media tries to provide audiences with tools and resources to construct our own identities. Beyonce tries to be a role model for audiences (specifically African American women who are oppressed and underrepresented in mainstream media).

5.  Write one extended paragraph analysing the Media Language in your Newspaper text (The Daily Mirror) applying two theorists (choose from- Barthes, Todorov or Neale).

Media Language is used by The Daily Mirror in order to present ideas and beliefs upon the reader. Barthes’ theory suggests that the newspaper communicates political meaning through representations. Examples of these representations include the negative portrayals of Theresa May & the conservative party as well as Donald Trump during the 2016 US Presidential Elections. The Daily Mirror is a left-leaning political newspaper that uses negative language towards the right-leaning parties. “What have they done?” is a rhetorical question used by the Daily Mirror from the US Presidential result, implying that the election outcome is negative and as a result blame the American voters. Neale’s theory shows that these ideas are shown through the repeated patterns of consistent representations to suggest the newspapers political stance.

6. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Representation in your Newspaper text applying two theorists (apply Hall and Gauntlett).

Representation is used by The Daily Mirror in order to appeal to the common target audience as they are mostly left wing readers so therefore the paper reflects these beliefs through the choices of stories and headlines. In the Brexit campaign, The Daily Mirror used negative portrayals of Theresa May and the conservative party. In the 2016 US Presidential election, The Daily Mirror also used images of the statue of liberty with the caption “What have they done?”, this therefore generates negative connotations to the election result and Donald Trump. The Daily Mirror does this to make sure that their audience takes the ‘preferred reading’ of their stories and supplies the readers with headlines which underline the papers political views and perspectives.

7. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Audiences in your Advertising texts applying two theorists (Bandura, Gerber or Hall)

In the Tide advert, it presents the stereotypical housewife of the 50s doing domestic chores that directly links to the target audience and product. Bandura’s media effects theory show that the use of advertising implants these stereotype attitudes and reflect these beliefs of women at the time. It desensitised people to the representation of these housewives. Gerbner’s cultivation theory argues that these repeated patterns of representation influence these views and perceive these as ‘normal’. This therefore reinforces the mainstream values of society at the time of the advert being produced.

Water-Aid uses these pitied representations of the African children in order to attract the audiences attention and to sympathise with them. Bandura’s media effects theory show that Water-aid were attempting at provoking an emotional response from the audience in order for them to donate money. This is mostly done by using contrasts between a rainy day in Britain and the lack of water in Africa. In relation to Gerbner’s cultivation theory however. Water-Aid dispute this common conception of African children being miserable. They challenge this belief through Claudia and her upbeat singing in order to stand out from other adverts.

8. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Media Industries in your Film text (Straight Outta Compton) applying Curran and Seaton.

Straight Outta Compton argues many media theories applied to mainstream media. On one hand, it could be argued that Straight Outta Compton uses positive portrayals of the work of the NWA, a group that was commonly criticised by the media for its controversial lyrics. Whereas Straight Outta Compton shows creativity through ethnic minority representations and is created with high quality. The Straight Outta Compton film also disputes most mainstream films as it was created by a niche group which consequently disputes the media industries theory. Few of the original members of the NWA (Ice Cube & Dr Dre) produced the film to therefore contradict the stereotypical mass media film production process.

9.  Write one extended paragraph analysing the Audiences in your Newspaper texts applying two theorists (choose from – Bandura, Gerbner, or Hall).

The Daily Mirror uses various different stories and headlines in order to appeal to the audience. Hall’s reception theory argues that the newspaper have created headlines with the intended response being the preferred reading. However, as the newspaper is left-leaning, it shows that the story choices may be biased as well as creating oppositional meaning for readers who have a different/opposite political stance (e.g. right-leaning). During the Brexit referendum, it is clear that The Daily Mirror directly communicates to the audience and wanted voters to vote remain and used examples from the Labour Party to persuade voters. Bandura’s media effects show that the media can implant ideas in the mind of the audience directly. This is shown through the 2016 US Presidental election as The Daily Mirror uses negative portrayals of Donald Trump and Republicans to therefore manipulate audiences into acquiring a particular attitude and emotional response to issues surrounding the election.

10. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Media Industries in your Newspapers text applying theorists Curran and Seaton.

The mass media plays a direct role in political representations as well as society’s views and attitudes. A small amount of large industries own the mainstream media including Reach PLC which is one of Britain’s biggest newspaper groups, it owns nationally  The Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, The Sunday People, Scottish Sunday Mail, Daily Record and 240 regional papers. Power & Media Industries theory argue that the media are controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit and power. The focus of The Daily Mirror’s stories imply that it encourages readers to purchase the papers through bold headlines. It is clear that The Daily Mirror is owned by large media companies who mass produce in order for financial gain, therefore inhibiting creativity and quality.

11. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Audiences in your Radio text (Late Night Women’s Hour) applying two theorists (choose from- Bandura, Gerber or Hall)

The cultivation theory suggests that LNWH reinforces mainstream media values by trying to appeal to these audiences without being too niche and excluding topics which affect most younger female audiences. The repeated representations of these topics and people influence both the radio show and the way listeners of the show perceive the world around them. Some topics which are discussed on LNWH include, body positivity, men & feminism & self-esteem. However, targeting these topics directly towards women in the mass media can create a stigma towards men feeling as if they cannot talk about the same subjects. The reception theory demonstrates that women are meant to have a preferred or negotiated reading of the LNWH’s discussions, the radio show also make it available for listeners to come in contact with the show to voice their opinions on particular subjects, creating a connection between the audience and Lauren.

12. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Media Industries in your Radio text (Late Night Women’s Hour) applying theorists Curran and Seaton.

Late Night Women’s Hour is created by BBC Radio 4 and therefore reflects the idea of a large media company that is in control of the platform. The radio show is created to appeal to young women audiences and is generated as a result of ‘Woman’s Hour’, which is also created by the BBC. The power and media industries theory suggest that this concentration to constantly appeal to the mainstream audience limits variety, creativity and quality. Although it could be argued that Late Night Women’s Hour is presented for younger female audience, it is still a very mainstream approach and therefore restricts from reaching niche audiences.

13. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Audiences in your Video Games text applying two theorists (choose from – Bandura, Gerber or Hall)

Assassins Creed III: Liberation appeals to audiences by challenging traditional white male main characters. Gerbner’s cultivation theory show that the game contradicts mainstream values of the media through the use of the main character Aveline. This movement of a female main character in the game influences audiences to become desensitised to the idea of equality and positive representations in games. It helps perceive the franchise as more niche to others though this inclusion of a main character which goes against the norms of an Assassins Creed game. Bandura’s Media effects theory suggests that the developers of the game wanted to implant the idea that the game is more unique and reflects society’s changing views and perceptions. It helps create the idea of equality in the media industry and helps gamers acquire the same attitudes.

14. Write one extended paragraph analysing the Media Industries in your Video Games text applying theorists Curran and Seaton.

The Media industries in Assassins Creed III Liberation develop a game which is based around of Aveline, a female assassin of an ethnic minority background. The game was perceived to be a large movement at the time of release through the use of a female and minority main character. The game was created by Ubisoft (the normal creators of the Assassins Creed franchise). It could be argued that Assassins Creed III is controlled by a large company in charge of mass media products (Power & Media Industries Theory). However, the video game is niche in its creation through the use of Aveline’s character and storyline. Yet the game was released in 2012 and there is yet to be another Assassins Creed game which features a female main character.

Exam paper – Component 2

Mark scheme

Section A: Television

To what extent does the set episode of Life On Mars conform to Todorov’s theory of narrative equilibrium?

Todorov’s narrative theory refers to the scenes involving Sam’s everyday life and job working in what appears to be Manchester. The scenes show him chasing and arresting a criminal, as well as interviewing the criminal afterwards. This therefore makes the audience engage with Sam’s interactions and makes the audience further understand his character. The disruption in the episode occurs when Maya appears to have been kidnapped. An uncommon occurrence is that during this first disruption, Sam is also hit by a car, after this, the general order of narrative and chronological order of events appear to be disrupted. This accident creates enigmas for the audience to respond to as it appears like Sam is dying or in a coma for the rest of the episode. The structure of events centre around the serial killer and finding the culprit and possible abductor of Maya. The two worlds of how different 70s and 00s Manchester was/is, and the different attitudes back then highlight the change which society has brought, with Sam’s contrasting opinions from Gene Hunt underlining this issue.

Throughout the episode, there appears to be several scenes regarding a man speaking to Sam as if he was in a coma, consequently creating the confusing narrative and understanding as to what has happened to Sam. A technique which is relatively rare in Television is the audience’s lack of understanding throughout the episode. This is the beginning episode into the series and therefore engages the audience’s interest into the series. The episode appears to end without a resolution or a re-equilibrium which continues the question as to if Sam is in a coma, this makes audiences want to watch more of the series to gain answers to these questions.

Section B: Magazines

With reference to the front cover of the set edition of Vogue, explain the difference between denotation and connotation.

Denotation is the literal reading of the media text, therefore it appears to show a woman looking at the camera wearing blue and green exotic clothing. However, the connotations to this can suggest an element of femininity and a form of change in representation of beautiful exotic clothing as it was not commonly published about in 1965. Therefore Vogue is creating this different standpoint on fashion by including different social groups.

(b) How far do the representations in the set edition of Vogue (1965) reflect social and cultural contexts?

The representations for Vogue in the July 1965 edition reflect the lack of diversity in historic magazines. The picture represents exotic clothing which is shown by the Turkish headwear. However there is also the use of cultural appropriation in the piece as Sophia Loren is not a Turkish model. This therefore creates the sense of whitewash in the fashion industry as white models appear to be preferred in historic Vogue magazines. It is also believed that this form of clothing is represented as ‘exotic other’ to readers, as the culture does not seem to be important and is only there for visual pleasure. Up until present day, magazines such as Vogue are heavily criticised for their underrepresentation of diversity. However, it is likely that the common readers of Vogue would use the preferred inference to not question the lack of minority and ethnic women in Vogue as at the time it was common view that these women were less thought of in society. This can be applied to David Gauntlett’s theory of identity as it is clear that media products were less diverse and complex than those of previous generations.

Likewise, the 60’s view on women and their roles were that their purpose were to be entirely domestic. The stereotypical image of the ‘happy housewife’ who looked after the home and family while the husband went out to work were prominent in many magazines in the 50s and 60s. Sophia Loren is pictured in heavy makeup, reflecting 60s belief that women were purely objects and to look appealing. The representations of female beauty in the industry show a lack of diversity regarding independence. However, it could be argued that in the Vogue July 1965 edition, Sophia Loren takes up most of the main cover, implying dominance to the magazine.

Section C: Online media

Explain the strategies that producers of blogs and vlogs use to attract their target audiences. Refer to Zoella in your response

Blogs and vlogs use strategies in order to appeal to their intended target audiences, for example Zoella’s videos are very personal and have a home-like setup in order to engage the audience and feel part of the video. Zoella also encourages her audience to engage with her on social media, maintaining interactions and consequently keeping the viewers engagement. Zoella’s target audience is pre-teen/teenage girls, which is clear through the topics of her videos being heavily focused on makeup, fashion or baking. These video types naturally attract predominantly female audiences and therefore her introduction style reinforces this idea. Zoella does tutorials and ‘how tos’ on her channel in order to teach the audience more about her daily life, routines and makeup tips and advice. There is a strong representation of gender on her channel, with collaborations with mainly female YouTubers, the only exception to that being her boyfriend Alfie Deyes. There is a sense of Zoella’s brother, Joe Sugg also producing a channel for teenage audiences to enjoy content from (mainly boys).

Zoella uses colours which are more pastel such as pink in her logos are marketing to further appeal to a female audience. She uses a handwritten signature style logo to make her blog posts and videos seem more personalised to the viewer. Zoella’s merchandise such as her beauty and makeup line help reinforce the target audience’s appeal with fashion for mainly female fans of her videos. She also owns her book series ‘Girl Online’, a story about a girl that falls in love, further generating the idea that her audiences are predominately female and therefore targets her products towards that.

Using textbook p.189-190 to aid you, answer these questions (remember to copy these questions on your blog)

Why is it more difficult to regulate online media than traditional mass media platforms like film, television etc.?

The amount of content being created is hard to keep up with, thousands of hours of vlogs each week and hundreds of blog posts.Partly because of the volume of content as well as the content coming from so many different sources.

Who are the possible regulators for online content?

Responsibility of internet service providers, the companies which own the social media platforms or whether wider regulation by independent bodies or national governments.

Who regulates blogs/vlogs?

Subject to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), they are also required to comply with customer protection laws enforced by the Office of Fair Trading

Define ‘CAP code’

Stipulates that paid-for content in blogs/vlogs, in the form of advertisements, advertorials or sponsored content, must be clearly signposted to users

Define the term ‘advertorial’

An advertisement that is presented in the style of the media product of which it features. An advertorial vlog e.g. something that is presented in their usual editorial style.

Which issues do the YouTube ommunity Guidelines’ cover?

• Nudity/sexual content
• Violent/Graphic content
• Hate speech/hateful content
• Spam,misleading metadata or scams
• Harmful or dangerous content
• Copyright
• Theats

Complete the rest of this sentence: “YouTube encourages creators to produce content that is appropriate for all-audiences and is therefore advertiser friendly”

What regulations can YouTube uphold and what is their reasons for doing so?

YouTube can also impose age restrictions on videos to protect younger audiences from harmful content. It also provides user with the facility to flag videos. Once a video has been flagged, it is reviewed and if it violates community guidelines it is removed, in more severe cases the users accounts are deleted.

Using the articles/video to aid you, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of fully regulated online media? (200-300 words)

On one hand, regulating all online media platforms especially in relation to safeguarding children from harmful content such as Logan Paul’s controversial video may help protect audiences from otherwise dangerous, harmful or offensive content. This regulation would mainly effect YouTubers as they aren’t usually individually regulated by an established company. On the other hand, it makes these content creators become less creative in the content which they are producing out of fears of having their video taken down, not making enough/any money off of the video, and in more serious situations risk having their channel shut down. This regulation in media might also make these content creators lose interest in what they are doing and consequently quit, therefore losing revenue for YouTube as well. This regulation can penalise other creators which otherwise have been unaffected by the current regulation, this creates a possibility for injustice in the system. YouTube has already been heavily criticised by content creators who argue that their videos have been wrongfully striked/demonetised/taken down. It is also extremely difficult and expensive to manage this regulation accurately and effectively, therefore creating a thin line between media which is over-regulated.

GLOSSARY

Advertorial: An advertisement that is presented in the style of the media product in which it features.

Algorithm: Set of steps/rules to make a calculation. The steps involve determining which advertisements are most suitable for a particular website.

Blogger: Someone who engages in blogging. The term blog is short for weblog

Brand recognition: Extent to which brand can quickly be identified by visual codes such as logos

Call to action: Instruction issued to the audience with the aim of promoting an immediate response “subscribe now”, “like the video” etc

CAP Code: Advertising code that covers non-broadcast media. The code is written by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP)

Collaboration video: Video which features two or more content creators

Content creators: Those are involved in creating/sharing content online

Convergence: Process which different media industries and forms merge to one another. (e.g. mobile phones bring together so many different functions)

Digital influencer: Someone with a significant amount of online following to shape and influence.

Gatekeeper: A person who is involved in filtering content in some way. (e.g. in the newspaper industry editors generally perform this function as they determine which stories to make)

Hyperlink: Word/Phrase/Image in a document that the reader can click on to navigate to a different part of the document/different page

‘Let’s play’ video: A recording of someone playing a video game, usually with some kind of commentary.

Metadata: The additional or contextual information that accompanies an online video, description, thumbnails and tags

Monetisation: Process through which product/service- blog or vlog

Multi-channel networks: Organisations that curate a large number of channels, offering creators support in areas such as video production

Non-verbal communication: Communication that doesn’t involve words. The way in which we communicate messages and meaning through our facial expressions, our body language and our tone of voice for example.

Para-social interaction: Illusion of face-to-face through direct address. The theory was originally coined for mass media but has since been applied to online forms.

Synergy: Term used to describe the cross-promotional of products (the theme song to Spectre will help promote the film for example)Synergy is all about different products and processes working together.

Transmedia storytelling: A process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose

User-generated content: Material created by everyday users of media platforms rather than by professionals working for media organisations.

Vlog: A blog in video form. Short for video blog.

Walkthough: A demonstration of how to play a video game

Web traffic: Number of people who visit a particular page/website

Web 2.0: new phase in the internet’s development, characterised by interactivity, user participation, connection and collaboration.

Media Powerpoint ZOELLA