MECS 102 Introduction to Media Studies Media and Society Representation

Institutions, Texts and Audience Looking at the social, political and economic context of media production and consumption. We examine what media texts reflect in society but “the media are more than the sum of their texts” (Burton,2005:8) when we look at: Questions of power The nature of media influence Media – social relations Media as public space

Institutions Texts Audience Questions to ask regarding production and consumption of media products (texts) Who says what, to whom, thru’ what channel and with what effect? (McQuail 2000:52) There is a dynamic relationship between the 3 areas. Institutions Texts Audience How is a media text constructed? MEDIATION Analysis Deconstruction Interpretation Meaning By whom and how are media products consumed? Effects? Influence? Active/passive? Subject Identity Where is it created, by whom? Why? Capitalism Ownership/control Technology Globalisation Regulation

Institutions Media as business entities Emphasis on profit not production of culture, meaning and quality Economic trends in capitalism and how they affect the media industry eg concentration, convergence, privatisation,

TEXTS Media workers mediate reality through texts. Texts construct representations, using discourses, and promoting myths and ideologies (Burton, 2005:9) We explore how media texts reflect ideology by Deconstructing and analysing media texts: Textual analysis Semiotic analysis Image analysis Discourse analysis

Why is it worth analysing texts? Text as representation can reflect more than the material object, it offers a set of meanings – it naturalises ideology Analysis investigates these meanings to uncover the ideologies and their influence It helps understand the conventions/codes used to structure the text

AUDIENCES What/who determines the relationship? Looking at the debate about the relationship between the 3 core concepts/areas. What/who determines the relationship? How active is the audience? What about plurality of the media and the audience? How do audiences build an ideology from media texts? Or how do media promote an ideology thru’ texts/representations?

The Audience as readers of text Debates involve what do the media do to the audience - Is the audience at the mercy of the media? How do audiences use the media? Is the reader the site of meaning attribution?

Why use advertisements? Advertising is paid-for persuasive communication – creating consumers & increasing sales. How? It is an economic activity. Advertising and the media have a financial relationship. It gives products symbolic value beyond their usefulness so has other effects: on social attitudes, social practices, cultural values, identities etc.” – it is ideological. Advertising and society – is it exploitative or is it part of a free market system? Advertising and Identity – individualist or creating sameness?

Buy and read Textbooks: 1. Fourie, P J. (ed) Media Studies: Vol. 1 (2007, pp. 247-263) & Vol.2 (2008, Ch 6-10) and Vol. 3 (2009, Ch. 2-4) JUTA 2. O’Shaughnessy & Stadler (2006) Media in Society. Ch.4,5,6,7 & 8. 3. Sardar & Van Loon. Introducing Media Studies (2000) Icon and Totem Books: Page references: 16 – 20; 25; 61 – 70 and 107 – 111. 4. Burton, G. Media and Society: Critical Perspectives. (2005) OUP.