The Baby’s Guide to The Baby’s Guide to Media StudyMedia Study

Media Studies is unusual in that Media Studies is unusual in that it is both an it is both an artart and a and a science.science.

Media Studies is about Media Studies is about appreciationappreciation

– – your opinions and your opinions and interpretations -interpretations -

Media Studies is about Media Studies is about technical technical examination examination

– – finding evidence and facts to finding evidence and facts to prove those opinions and prove those opinions and

interpretations -interpretations -

So what is it about!So what is it about!

This means that This means that Media Studies is Media Studies is

about:about:

Looking and Looking and listening listening

Responding and Responding and CommentingCommenting

Finding and ProvingFinding and Proving

The Good NewsThe Good News

The advantage of Media Study is that The advantage of Media Study is that you already know how to do it!you already know how to do it!

You have all been You have all been consuming the consuming the MediaMedia for at least 13 years for at least 13 years

This means you have grown up in an This means you have grown up in an environment of environment of media saturationmedia saturation

A new language?A new language?

By being metaphorically drenched in By being metaphorically drenched in Media consumption - you have Media consumption - you have

unconsciously learnt unconsciously learnt the ‘language’ the ‘language’ of Mediaof Media creation. creation.

Our classes will be about providing you Our classes will be about providing you with a with a critical vocabularycritical vocabulary so that you so that you will be able to discuss on paper what will be able to discuss on paper what you have been doing in your head for you have been doing in your head for

13 years!13 years!

So what’s next?So what’s next?

So the task of our early lessons is So the task of our early lessons is to teach you how to to teach you how to talk and walktalk and walk like a Media Studies babylike a Media Studies baby

Just as you need to learn the Just as you need to learn the words, grammar and rules of words, grammar and rules of French, German or English…in French, German or English…in class you will learn class you will learn how to ‘speak’ how to ‘speak’ MediaMedia

Let’s get startedLet’s get started

The Simpsons is in The Simpsons is in many ways the peak many ways the peak of media production of media production in terms of its in terms of its popularity, notoriety popularity, notoriety and global and global recognition.recognition.

Homer Simpson was Homer Simpson was recently voted the recently voted the greatest American greatest American of all timeof all time

A Trivial Question?A Trivial Question?

What town do What town do the Simpsons the Simpsons

live in?live in?

The answer to all The answer to all Media Questions?Media Questions?

They don’t ‘live’ in Springfield. Homer They don’t ‘live’ in Springfield. Homer for example is a flat, 2 dimensional for example is a flat, 2 dimensional fictional father voiced by a younger man fictional father voiced by a younger man – the persistence of vision and one – the persistence of vision and one image laid on top of another in rapid image laid on top of another in rapid motion give the ‘impression’ of action. motion give the ‘impression’ of action. Dialogue and artistry make us believe Dialogue and artistry make us believe the world of Springfield is real…It isn’t!the world of Springfield is real…It isn’t!….Sorry to break the bad news.….Sorry to break the bad news.

So what are you So what are you saying?saying? What this means is that a programme What this means is that a programme

like the Simpsons is like most Media like the Simpsons is like most Media products products

It It replicates the worldreplicates the world around us so around us so effectively we get caught up in that effectively we get caught up in that fiction but is still a fiction but is still a version of realityversion of reality that is prone to bias and false that is prone to bias and false impressionsimpressions

The Most famous The Most famous example of this point!example of this point!

On the next slide is Rene On the next slide is Rene Magritte’s painting – Ceci n’est Magritte’s painting – Ceci n’est pas une pipe (translated – This is pas une pipe (translated – This is not a pipe)not a pipe)

What do you think the artist is What do you think the artist is trying to say?trying to say?

Media the gatekeeperMedia the gatekeeper

In other words – the Media In other words – the Media ‘re-‘re-presents’presents’ the world to us. the world to us.

The Media The Media ‘mediates’‘mediates’ how we how we view the world and in many ways view the world and in many ways can dictate if we respond to types can dictate if we respond to types or or ‘stereotypes’‘stereotypes’ of things in a of things in a positive or negative wayspositive or negative ways

Consider the SharkConsider the Shark

In the Media, sharks In the Media, sharks are considered to be are considered to be ruthless, eating ruthless, eating machines that machines that should be feared by should be feared by humanityhumanity

This message is This message is

mediated by Media mediated by Media Institutions to us the Institutions to us the AudienceAudience

So how do we fight So how do we fight this?this? The best way to see through this The best way to see through this

process of Media encoding is to process of Media encoding is to approach Media Study in a clinical and approach Media Study in a clinical and structured waystructured way

A Media student will distance A Media student will distance themselves from emotional themselves from emotional involvement in a text and rather focus involvement in a text and rather focus on on how it creates its effectshow it creates its effects on the on the audienceaudience

The Media TextThe Media Text

To create this distance, this means that we To create this distance, this means that we call most media products call most media products a media texta media text

Our task is to Our task is to decodedecode a Media text and a Media text and search for the meanings behind itsearch for the meanings behind it

We deconstruct what has been constructed We deconstruct what has been constructed by the Media for audience consumption.by the Media for audience consumption.

We We decode decode what has been what has been encodedencoded

Media SignsMedia Signs

Another way to distance our Another way to distance our analysis is to break down the analysis is to break down the elements of a text into elements of a text into ‘signs’‘signs’

A ‘sign’ is image, object or action A ‘sign’ is image, object or action that carries meaning or that carries meaning or ‘significance’ ‘significance’

Consider these ‘signs’Consider these ‘signs’

What do you What do you think are the think are the positive or positive or negative negative meanings of meanings of this sign?this sign?

Your first media Your first media methodmethod

One way to organize One way to organize your thoughts about a your thoughts about a sign or series of image sign or series of image

is to break them up into is to break them up into two levels of analysistwo levels of analysis

2 levels of analysis2 levels of analysis

1.1. Denotation Denotation – to discuss a text at – to discuss a text at a denotative level you describe a denotative level you describe what you seewhat you see

2.2. ConnotationConnotation – after this you – after this you discuss what these elements discuss what these elements may mean – or signifymay mean – or signify

A helpful listA helpful list

Here are some words that mean Here are some words that mean the same as connote:the same as connote:

SUGGEST, SIGNAL, SYMBOLIZE, SHOW, HINT, SUGGEST, SIGNAL, SYMBOLIZE, SHOW, HINT,

IMPLY, INSINUATE, INDICATE, MANIFEST, IMPLY, INSINUATE, INDICATE, MANIFEST,

MEAN, COMMUNICATE.MEAN, COMMUNICATE.

To conclude..To conclude..

Understand that media studies is Understand that media studies is about looking for:about looking for:

‘‘The Message behind The Message behind the Medium’the Medium’

Remember Remember to learn a to learn a language language you must you must use it!use it!