Do Now: Define these key terms
- Preferred Reading
- Symbolic Codes
- Cultural Imperialism
- Ideology
- Stereotypes
- Archetypes
Representation
lies at the heart of many media debates. As students of Media Studies we are
interested in whether these representations are positive or negative, truthful
or false and what impact these might have on audiences and societies
Re-Presenting
the World
A useful way
to think about representation is to think of it as the way in which a media
text re-presents the world back to the audience. They create the diegetic world
of the text to reflect a world that is recognisable to the audience. This process
often involves using stereotypes within the text as they are easy to identify
and communicate information to the audience in a short space of time.
Media
theorist RICHARD DYER writes about how there are both positive and negative
representations within the media and how stereotypes are an oversimplification
(homogeny) of people and social groups constructed through the use of a few
immediately recognisable and defining traits
1. What
stereotypes are present in the two front covers?
2. Why have
these stereotypes been used?
3. What
values do these stereotypes communicate around gender roles within our society?
Media
theorist Stuart Hall argues that whilst the media appears to reflect reality it
actually constructs reality. This is a challenging concept, simplified this
refers to the power the media has to shape peoples’ views and beliefs on
different groups or ideas within in a society, through the way they are
portrayed within media texts such as magazines.
Q. How is the world presented in the cover of
the two magazines?
Q. How might
the covers above shape people's views and beliefs within a society?
Stuart Hall
also explored how important the role of the producer is in constructing
representations within media texts. It is important to understand the purpose
of a text when exploring this issue.
Q. How do
magazines make money?
Q. What is
the purpose of both magazines? Do they differ?
Q. How do
the representations on the cover of the magazines help the magazines create
profit?
Assessed
Essay (20 marks)
Compare and
contrast the representations on offer between Reveal and Tatler (CSP products).
You should
discuss the following:
- how they both use media language to engage their specific target audience
- how they represent groups, issues and ideas
- the different values and beliefs offered by the two products
