Deconstructing Media Introduction

Anatomy of Media Media: any communication that is mediated by a form of technology where the person delivering the message is not in the same location as the person receiving the message. This includes messages from Media Analysis: Five Core Concepts

●Books ●Fiction ●Non-Fiction ●Reference… ●Magazines ●Entertainment ●News ●Technical ●Hobby… ●Newspaper Print Genres Genre – a category of “things” (in this case media) distinguished by recognizable features

Film Genres Genre – a category of “things” (in this case media) distinguished by recognizable features ●Entertainment ●Action ●Drama ●Comedy ●Suspense/Thriller…. ●Documentary ●Science ●History ●News…

Radio Genres Genre – a category of “things” (in this case media) distinguished by recognizable features ●Music ●Top 40 ●Alternative ●R & B… ●Talk ●Sports ●Politics ●News…

Television Genres Genre – a category of “things” (in this case media) distinguished by recognizable features ●Drama ●Sit-com ●Reality TV ●News ●Sports ●Talk Show ●How-To (Cooking, Decorating)…

Internet Genres Genre – a category of “things” (in this case media) distinguished by recognizable features While the internet can serve as a distribution channel for genres already discussed, it also has several unique formats, especially those that involve user- created content.

Internet Genres Genre – a category of “things” (in this case media) distinguished by recognizable features ● Social Networks (FB, Instagram, Twitter) ● Blogs ● Wikis ● Podcasts ● News and entertainment websites

The Five Core Concepts of Media Analysis

Anatomy of Media Media: any communication that is mediated by a form of technology where the person delivering the message is not in the same location as the person receiving the message. This includes messages from the Internet, books, magazines, newspapers, documentary films, TV shows, video games, advertisements, songs and even T-shirts. (from Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College) Media Analysis: Five Core Concepts

Anatomy of Media Media Analysis: Five Core Concepts Authorship All media messages are constructed.

*AUTHOR* ● Core Concept: All media messages are constructed ● Core Analysis Question: Who created this message?

*AUTHOR* explores two fundamental insights about media: ● 1. Construction ● 2. Choice

*AUTHOR* ● CONSTRUCTION ● messages are not “natural,” but are built ● written by someone, or many people (nightly news, billboards, political flyers) ● images are captured and edited ● creative editing team puts it all together

*AUTHOR* ● CHOICE: what’s left in and what’s left out? ● words ● pictures ● Audience cannot see or hear the words or pictures that were rejected, but instead we only see what was accepted.

*AUTHOR* ● Goal of Analysis: to analyze who is constructing the messages we view/hear.

*AUTHOR* ● Guiding Questions: ● Who is in control of the creation and transmission of this message? ● What were some choices he/she made? ● What choices were made that might have been made differently? ● What was omitted?

*AUTHOR* ● Examples: ● Music video Music video ● How Taylor Swift make her choices as an author Taylor ● Newspaper : LeBron Newspaper

Anatomy of Media Media Analysis: Five Core Concepts Authorship Format All media messages are constructed. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.

*FORMAT* ● Core Concept: Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules ● Core Analysis Question: What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

*FORMAT* ● Goal of Analysis: to build an internal checklist that you can apply to any media message. ●For this to happen, we must first begin to notice how messages are constructed. ●“What do you notice?” ●All answers to this question are acceptable (as long as they are justified and exude care and effort) since different people notice different things.

*FORMAT* Guiding Questions: ●What kind of “text” is it? ●What are the various elements (building blocks) that make up the whole? ●What did you notice (about the way the message is constructed)? ●Colors? Shapes? Size? Sounds? Words? Silence? Props? Sets? Clothing? ●Movement? Composition? Lighting? ●Where is the camera? ●How is the story told visually? What are people doing? ●Are there any symbols? Visual metaphors? ●What makes it seem “real”?

*FORMAT* ● Examples: ● Newspaper layout Newspaper layout and another Newspaper layout another ● News website layout News website layout and another News website layout another ● Entertainment and news website Entertainment and news website ● Newspaper : LeBron Newspaper

Anatomy of Media Media Analysis: Five Core Concepts Authorship Format Audience All media messages are constructed. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. Different people experience the same media message differently.

*AUDIENCE* ● Core Concept: Different people experience the same message differently ● Core Analysis Question: How might different people understand this message differently?

*AUDIENCE* Goal of Analysis: Consider how messages are targeted for various segments of the population. Producers may intentionally target similarity or difference. ●incorporates two important ideas: 1.that our differences influence our various interpretations of media messages 2. that our similarities create common understandings.

*AUDIENCE* ● Everyone brings a unique set of life experiences (age, gender, education, cultural upbringing, etc.) to each media encounter. ● The more questions we ask about what ourselves and others experience, the more prepared we are to evaluate messages and accept or reject them.

*AUDIENCE* Guiding Questions: ●Have you ever experienced anything like this in your life? ●How close is this portrayal to your experience? ●What did you learn about yourself from experiencing the media text? ●What did you learn from other people’s response? From their experience of life? ●How many other interpretations could there be? How could we hear about them? ●Are there other viewpoints just as valid as mine? ●How can you explain the different responses?

Example ● Twitter Twitter ● Video games Video games ● Newspaper : LeBron Newspaper

Anatomy of Media Media: any communication that is mediated by a form of technology where the person delivering the message is not in the same location as the person receiving the message. This includes messages from the Internet, books, magazines, newspapers, documentary films, TV shows, video games, advertisements, songs and even T-shirts. (from Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College) Media Analysis: Five Core Concepts Authorship Format Audience Content All media messages are constructed. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. Different people experience the same media message differently. Media have embedded values and points of view.

*CONTENT* ● Core Concept: Media have embedded values and viewpoints ● Core Analysis Question: What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?

*CONTENT* ● Ideas and values are embedded in media messages ● ALSO the values of mainstream media typically reinforce, and therefore, affirm, the existing social system. This helps to explain why less popular or new ideas can have a hard time getting aired, especially if they challenge long-standing assumptions or commonly accepted beliefs. Unless challenged, old assumptions can create and perpetuate stereotypes: further limiting our understanding and appreciation of the world.

*CONTENT* ● Goal of Analysis: If we have the skills to question and rationally identify both overt and concealed values in media messages, we are likely to be much more intelligent in our decision to accept or reject the overall message

*CONTENT* Guiding Questions: ●What kinds of behaviors/consequences are depicted? ●What kind of person is the reader/watcher/listener invited to identify with? ●What ideas or values are being “sold” to us in this message? ●What ideas are communicated in the message? ●What judgments or statements are made about how we treat other people? ●What is the overall worldview of the message? ●What ideas or perspectives are left out? How would you find what is missing?

*CONTENT* ● Example: ● Newspaper : LeBron Newspaper ● Newspaper : George Clooney Newspaper ● The news media (multi-media): James Foley The news media (multi-media): ● Twitter Twitter ● Tips on how to “do” good content good content

Anatomy of Media Media Analysis: Five Core Concepts Authorship Format Audience Content Purpose All media messages are constructed. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. Different people experience the same media message differently. Media have embedded values and points of view. Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

*PURPOSE* ● Core Concept: Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power. ● Core Analysis Question: Why is this message being sent?

*PURPOSE* ● Three Key Purposes: 1. To inform 2. To persuade 3. To entertain

*PURPOSE* ● Goal of Analysis: examines the motive or purpose of a media message

*PURPOSE* Guiding Questions: ●Why is this message being sent? How do you know? ●What is being sold in this message? What’s being told? ●Who profits from this message? Who pays for it? ●Who is served by or benefits from the message: ●The public? ●Private interests? ●Individuals? ●Institutions? ●What economic decisions may have influenced the construction or transmission of this message? ●What’s the emotional appeal? Persuasive devices used?

*PURPOSE* ● Examples ● Public Service Announcement Public Service Announcement ● ABC News ABC News ● TV series TV series ● Newspaper : LeBron Newspaper