Representation of Events

Focus on the representation of TWO events

From at least two different media texts

Enables you to demonstrate an understanding how events are represented across media.

Events - definition

• Event = something that occurs or is about to occur and is of interest to an audience.

• Events come in a range of shapes and forms and can be local, national or international.

• E.g. the Royal Wedding, the Olympic Games or a pop festival. International events may include wars and global recession.

• Think of five current events you could explore?

Ideology

• The ideology of the text in which the event features – right-wing or left-wing newspaper? Royalist or anti-royalist?

• Is it clear what the text says about the event?

• Is there evidence of bias in the representation – how do the visual, sound and linguistic codes achieve this?

Intertextuality

How is the event presented?

• Language - Critical? Adulatory?

• Mode of address?

• Anchorage?

• Use of images?

Construction

• Events in media representations are constructed – they are ‘mediated’ by editors, journalists, graphic designers, photographers.

• A football cup final will have lots of camera positioning – producers will decide where the camera is pointing and which is to be used. Music, slow motion, and video filters can enhance the images and make the players seem heroic and superhuman.

Selection

• Whatever is chosen means other things are omitted.

• Someone makes that decision – who? Why?

• If a peaceful student march has a brief skirmish between one or two protestors and the police – how might A) a student newspaper think about it B) A right-wing tabloid?

Focus

• Headlines and images will direct our response to certain aspects of the text and push us towards assumptions and conclusions about the event concerned.

• Who is interviewed? Who is not?

• Who is invited to commentate?

Audience

• Opinion leaders? Do they influence how audiences think or feel about an event?

• The audience themselves – types of reading? Hall?2

Consider how these two texts have represented this event.