Media and Visual Literacy What are the components of Media Literacy?

What Does It Mean To Be Literate? Narrowest meaning: Reading ability – verbal texts Fluent, critical reading ability To be educated, cultured – ‘well read Wider meaning - visual + media literacy: Components of ability to ‘read’ visual images? Relationship to diverse fields –e.g. art, design, film studies, photography?

Visual Communication Encoding, transmission, reception, decoding + interpretation of visual messages Our focus: analysis of visual phenomena - both content + function – mass communication process Vision abilities: Biological – optical + neurological capacities Mental, emotional – responses to visual encounters Interpretive – meaning we make of decoded information

Example

Media Literacy: Definition Visual Literacy: term first used – 1969 - John Debes Media Literacy: our cognitive skills deployed in the production, reception, interpretation, use and critique of visual imagery in the mass media

Is There A ‘Visual Language’? Verbal Language: Components – phonemes, morphemes, words, Phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs, genres Systematically organised – ‘rules’ evolved over centuries Is there a comparable visual language? Visual Literacy (concept): underlying assumptions – Images comprise components that are analagous to the components of verbal language Shared norms + practices for construction of visual images

Is there ‘Visual grammar’?

Elements of Visual Communication Lines, colours, shapes, textures, tone Lighting types Focus Perspective, depth Composition Long shots, medium shots, close ups Camera/image angles

Study of Signs Visual images – one set of signs Semiotics – the study of signs Key Terminology: Signifier - the form/structure of a sign that communicates its idea Signified – what the signifier refers to Signification - the link between the expression and the idea

Sign, Signifier, Signified Sign = Signifier → m – a – n word -------------- ‘man’ Signified → idea of a man Signification: the link between the visual symbols of the written letters, combined to make a meaningful whole AND the concept of ‘man’ (which is part of a network, a system - e.g opposite of woman, male adult - not a child, human)

Example of Visual Sign Sign = Signifier → a rose man ------------- giving Signified → attraction/love a woman a rose

Differences: Verbal + Visual Signs Verbal Signs - most are arbitrary No necessary link between signifier + referent E.g. D-o-g h-o-n-d i-n-j-a Visual Signs – many non-arbitrary i.e. often some type of visual similarity between signifier + referent but RELATIVE non-arbitrariness

Continuum of Referentiality: Abstraction → Realism

‘Realistic’ Signs: Issues Many signs – more literal, more realistic than verbal signs Can result in them seeming ‘obvious’, ‘natural’, easily accessible Many people lack awareness of constructed nature + effects of such images Visual Literacy: implies need for knowledge of this constructedness + understanding that ALL visual images are CODED

Types of Signs Iconic - looks like its referent Indexical - points to something, leaves a trace of the referent Symbolic – abstract -learned association

Types of Meanings Denotative Connotative Literal, ‘dictionary’ meaning E.g. Rose - shrub with thorny stems and many blooms, colours ranging from white to blood red Connotative Associated meanings, product of life experience Culturally shared + individually unique E.g. Red Rose – symbol of passion, love Individuals? Romance? Cliché?

Types of Codes Sign combinations = codes Metonymic Grouping of signs Prods reader – decode – associations/assumptions Meaning from cumulative effect, clustering of signs ‘King Arthur’ by J. M. Cameron, c. 1874

Types of Signs ctd Synechdoche Part Stands For Whole: Heads stand for whole body Specific people stand for ‘Madonna + Child’ ‘The Holy Family’ by J.M. Cameron 1867

Types of Signs ctd Analogic Something stands equally for something else Code stimulates viewer to activate comparisons