1. Media Studies Key Terms
Phrases and references essential for you to understand in order to achieve the higher grades

2. Semiotics Key theorist Ferdinand Saussure
“The science of the life of signs and sign systems in society”.
Derived from the Greek – Semeion – Sign
Focussed on the text itself and the signs and codes contained within it.

3. Semiotics cont.
The main categorisation of signs concerns those that are mental and private and those which are spoken or written in order to be made public.
Saussure pinpointed the gap between what is on display in society and how the human made meaning from it.

4. Semiotics cont.
This process of making meaning from society’s signs underpinned a new logic/science/philosophy or way of thinking.

5. Semiotics in our society.
Here
Poland

6. Cultural context gives meaning to signs
Poland
Here

7. Semiotics applied to Media Studies
Genre relies on signs, signifiers and signifying practices.
Signifying practices are what defines a genre
E.g Police T.V. dramas
Police uniforms, realistic, naturalistic settings, tension, action relating the crime.

8. The Sign Two components
Signifier – the physical object e.g a sound, printed word or advertisement.
In the example of the police drama, it would be a combination of the visual and sound elements of the text.
Signified – Meaning or mental concept conveyed by the signifier Eg Police drama.

9. Signifier
Describe ‘Signifier’ in relation to this.

10. Signified
Describe ‘Signified’ in relation to this.

11. Semiotics further…..
Saussure’s ideas were initially related to language and understanding.
Roland Barthes used Saussure’s ideas and modernised them, applying the framework to popular culture such as Andy Warhol’s art and advertising.

12. Semiotics cont.
Barthes used Saussure’s work and applied it to the post-modern culture of western life.
He used the term “Mythologies” to describe how we construct a desire to answer a non-existent need. E.g. French and wine.

13. Semiotics cont.
Make a list of signifiers and what they signify in our media.
Radio
T.V.
Magazines
Newspapers
Cinema
Popular music