notes

Media Theory 

The media works through two types of people.
Producer: The producer makes the film/story/clip/video/tv program
Consumers: The reader/watch the media

The media is known to be called a media text. This could be Tv programmes, videos and posters ect. However the do not have to contain any text within them.

How does the producer get the message across to the consumer?
The producer has to think about what they want to say, they then encode the message. For example: speaking in English and then they finally say the message out loud.
The reserver hears the message that they producer has said, they decode the message to what they believe he or she is trying to put across.

Transmitter: Transmits the message and then encodes the message.

Reserver: Reserves the message and then decodes the message.

Following this theory on how the producer gets across their message. The transmitter could encode a message of something that you do not understand. For example: speaking in a different language. therefore the reserver will not be able to decode the message. People decode information differently.

Audience Theory

There are three methods of how the media gains the attentions of the audience. These are:
Hypodermic needle, 2 step flow, use and gratifications.

Hypodermic needle
This method can be explained by the consumer being injected with a needle that contains the messages from the media and makes them believe what they hear from the media. This is a way of brainwashing the audience in making them think and believe that everything they see from the media is true. The consumer/audience is seen to be passively receiving the information from the media.

2 step flow
The 2 step flow method is based on the fact of a group of people called opinion leaders. For example a consumer or reviewer watching a soap has their favourite character which becomes the opinion leaders. This makes the consumer/reviewer trust the leader they have chosen and makes the consumer more likely to believe and listen to what they are saying and also follow their views. However as a consumer you have no active role apart from choosing your opinion leader.

Use & gratification 
During this method the audience are given more respect and more of an active role in making their own decisions about the media. The consumers absorb the information or message from the media and make a selection of what they choose to believe and what they do not.
Diversion-Escape or emotional release. Some consumers believe that watching the Tv is a way to relax.
Personal Relationships-Virtual companionship and sociability. This could be used to make a conversation using what you have seen from the media.
Personal identity-Comparing your existence with others in the media. For example a teenager might watch a Tv programme that will influence them on how they think they should look, behave and live.
Surveillance-What is actually going on in the world. For example: The news is where we find out about what is happening in the world.
who decides what is included in the media? The gatekeeper makes the decision of what should be shown and what shouldn't. This depends on where and when the message will be shown. For example: different newspapers will include different news.Therefore you do not get the complete picture from the media.

Audience

Mode of address-How text is spoken through the media. For example this could either be formally or informally depending on what the producers message is that he/she is trying to get across. For example in big brother when the presenter Emma has to read out the voting numbers she switches from being informal to formal because she doesn't want to come across bias. She does this with no expression in order for the audience to not be influenced by who her favourite might be.
- The news reporter = formal.
- reading out voting numbers = formal.
- nature programmes = formal but the producer does want you to lear from their messages.
- soaps = informal.

Preferred reading-This is how the producer wants you to understand the message.
The producer also known as the transmitter will transmit the message and encode it. Then the consumer referred to as a reserver reserves the message and decodes it.
Oppositional reading- Rejection or subversion of the referred meaning. The different camera angles show different meanings to the message in the scene.
Negotiated reading-Someone who understands the message but doesn't relate to what they are saying.
Aberrant reading-Someone who misreads or misunderstands the message.

Semiology-Study and sign of symbols (denotation & connotation) semiology was established by Roland Barthes. 

Denotation-Objects that have been used in a scene for a reason. To make you as a consumer believe what is happening. For example: in Emmerdale empty bottles are left out on the table to show that they characters must be drunk.

Connotation-What a consumer will assume from the denotation. for example: we would believe that the characters from Emmerdale have drunk the empty bottles on the table. However we do not know this because we don't get to see.