Representation

Introducing Key Media Concepts

Introducing Representation Introducing Representation 2

Contents:

Section 1 - Re-presentation (Slides 1-11) Section 2 - Key Questions on

Representations & Stereotyping (Slides 12-23)

Section 3 - TV stills for analysis (Slides 24 - 35)

Section 4 – Recap (Slides 36-39)

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Section 1: Re-presenting Realities…By definition, all media texts (whether

print, moving image, audio etc) are always re-presentations of reality, as they have undergone the processes of mediation

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Section 1: Re-presenting Realities…By definition, all media texts (whether

print, moving image, audio etc) are always re-presentations of reality, as they have undergone the processes of mediation

Mediation includes several key elements: selection, narrative sequencing & emphasis, which all serve to anchor meaning

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Mediation…

Selection - a very deliberate decision has been made by the media producers about, for example, choosing one particular image (and rejecting hundreds of others) to accompany a news story and then reinforcing or anchoring their chosen meaning through their choice of headline captions, actor/character voiceover, music, lighting etc. (dependant on the form of media text)

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Mediation…

Narrative Sequencing - the elements that make up a text, chosen in the selection process, will be organized into particular sequences in order to tell a particular story

This organising of the components of a media text applies to fiction and non-fiction texts alike

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Mediation…

Emphasis - the selection and narrative sequencing lead to a particular emphasis within the text, meaning that audiences are invited to ‘read’ the meaning in a particular way: This is known as the preferred reading

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Mediation…

Emphasis - the selection and narrative sequencing lead to a particular emphasis within the text, meaning that audiences are invited to ‘read’ the meaning in a particular way: This is known as the preferred reading

Sometimes this is more obvious (as in tabloid journalism), sometimes more difficult to detect (for example, in a documentary that positions itself as ‘balanced’ or ‘truthful’)

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What is being represented?

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What meaning is being anchored?

Call that subtle? The monstrous yacht Coleen and Wayne have hired looks out of place in elegant Portofino

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Burton & Taylor they ain't - what has Portofino done to deserve the Rooneys' 'wedding of the year'?

Call that subtle? The monstrous yacht Coleen and Wayne have hired looks out of place in elegant Portofino

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Section 2: Key Questions

For the OCR AS course, Representation is one of the major Key Concepts (alongside Textual Analysis, Media Audiences and Media Institutions) underpinning each module. At A/S Level and beyond, the emphasis is on you being able to address the following questions of any media text…

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Key Questions…

Who is being represented?In what way?By whom?Why is the subject being represented

in this way?Is the representation fair and accurate?What opportunities exist for self-

representation by the subject?

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Who is being Represented?

What can you say about the subject of a representation?

Do they belong, for example, to a marginalised group in society?

Or are they part of a powerful elite?Why do you think that these

considerations matter?

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In What Way?

Is this a sympathetic representation?Is it ‘sensationalist’ or

‘scaremongering’?Does it employ humour?Is it a representation you are familiar

with?Or does it challenge your views in any

way?

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Why is the subject being represented in this way?What does the media institution stand

to gain from this representation?What does the subject stand to gain?What does the audience stand to gain?What does the representation tell us

about the values and ideologies of the institutions involved?

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Is the representation ‘fair’ and ‘accurate’?

Does this representation confirm or challenge what you already know of the subject?

Why is ‘fairness’ and ‘accuracy’ important?

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Self-representation?

Does the subject represented have any means of self-representation?

In other words, is there an opportunity to defend or rebuke the representation?

If not, why not?

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Shameless Who is being

represented & in what way?

By whom? Why? Is it fair and

accurate? What ‘right to

reply’ do these subjects have? (self representation)

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Section 3: Stereotyping

A stereotype is a representation that takes characteristics of a group of people and uses the processes of mediation to apply them in a generalised and simplistic way

What stereotypes do you and your friends use?

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Stereotyping

Recent new stereotypes include ‘the Essex Girl’ - now also defined in the Oxford English Dictionary!

What others can you think of?

Image of Chantelle from: http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/housemates/housemate_news.jsp?id=41

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Stereotyping - harmless fun? Stereotypes can often be used as a useful

‘shorthand’ for media producers, particularly in comedy texts such as sitcoms and sketch shows but character ‘types’ also often occur in TV dramas

The use of a familiar stereotype means that the audience can be steered more quickly towards the ‘meaning’ of a situation; it makes it ‘easier’ to read the preferred meaning (what the producer wants you to think)

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Stereotyping…

Whilst stereotypes can be used in a positive way, the repetition of such representations in other contexts can be very harmful for the groups involved

Stereotypes can also be challenged – GG Me With a partner, brainstorm uses of

stereotyping in media texts that can be seen as perpetuating negative views…(try to use a selection of fiction and non-fiction texts)

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TV Drama

Look at the following sequence of images from TV dramas and, in pairs, analyze the representations by applying the questions used previously…

Who is being represented & in what way? By whom? Why? Is it fair and accurate? What ‘right to reply’ does this subject have?

(self representation)

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Skins – Chris at party

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Who’s the boss?

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What are the stereotypes?

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Kayleigh & Mel

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Steve, Lloyd & Dan

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Claire, Sally & Sophie

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Jane Eyre

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Dr. Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)

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Life On Mars

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Mad Men

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Brideshead Revisited

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Section 4 - Recap…All media Representations result from the

processes of mediation; the image chosen & how it is cropped, anchored etc. to produce the preferred reading

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Section 4 - Recap…All media Representations result from the

processes of mediation; the image chosen & how it is cropped, anchored etc. to produce the preferred reading

The types of representations used by different media institutions can tell us a lot about the ideological belief systems of that institution - and of their audiences (we tend to consume media texts that already ‘fit’ our own values…)

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Recap…We can choose to agree or disagree

with any given Representation, but the processes of Mediation tend to influence our ‘readings’…

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Recap…We can choose to agree or disagree with

any given Representation, but the processes of Mediation tend to influence our ‘readings’…

The questions about Representation that you have learned to apply here are relevant to any media text and should continue to be addressed throughout the duration of your course. Mediation occurs in reality TV & news, not only in fiction!