Ideology and Representation

Ideology and Representation

• Newsworthiness
• The process of selecting which stories to include in the paper.

• 'If it bleeds it leads'
• If its about gory/death then it will probably make the front page over something else.

• Broadsheets
• The larger style of newspapers. The content within will be a more formal writing, targeting a middle class audience.

• Tabloids
• These tend to focus on the working class audience by being quite informal with their stories.

• Intertextuality
• Where a media product makes sense only through its reference to the other media products.
• Barthes also referred to this process as referential codes. 

• Statue of Liberty symbolises hope, liberty and mainly America.
• The Statue of Liberty also looks like the weeping angels from Dr Who.
• The Daily Mirror's ideological perspective on Trump is that he is going to ruin the world and that it is not good that he has become the USA's prime minister.
• The setting that it is taken in looks like smoke, fire and bombs, this suggests that these are what trump wants to do and the Daily Mirror also expect us to know that these were trumps views.
• The sky also looks like a biblical apocalypse. Also, the background looks like the next world war or Dday.
• The statue has her hands over her face, it is symbolic as she is ashamed in her country.
• '7 killed in speeding tram crash' - Includes the word speeding, to make it seem more disastrous and exciting. Example of 'if it bleeds it leads'.

Opinions on Newspapers

• 'Newspapers are politically biased'
• I agree, that if the newspaper has beliefs they will channel their ideologies through their newspapers.
• Tv is A Political, meaning that they will not have one belief there will always be different beliefs, but they never come to a consensual agreement.
• American TV news is incredibly politically biased.
• English newspapers are politically anti-trump as we are anti-trump as a country, so we have biased news but completely unbiased press.

• 'Newspapers generally appeal to older audiences'
• yes, because we are more modern with technology so we will find the news on our phones rather than finding the news through newspapers.

• 'Newspapers tend to offer a very negative view on the world'
• People are fascinated by the awful and sad stories.
• In films people die as we are drawn and react to negative things like people dying.
• Also, the phrase 'If it bleeds, it leads'. 

Ideology

• The producer will encode their ideologies to a text. 
• A system of ideals and beliefs
• But often used to describe the ways which those in power use their power to distort meaning. 
• And ideology can be used to normalise the dominant ideas of the ruling class.

Left and Right Wing Politics Ideologies

• Left Wing (Labour)

• Generally a more liberal and forward-moving ideology.

• The left on the other hand is more keen to reduce the gaps in society between the rich and the poor. They believe society should work together to help everybody, with schemes like the NHS, Benefits and Free Education. They argue the rich should pay for this through taxes, thus reducing the gap between rich and poor.

• To do this, economically, they need to raise taxes. They also prefer to regulate 'the Market', which means distributing the wealth created on the stock market and in banks so that it does not all end up in the pockets of millionaires but some of it goes to the country's problems.

• Right Wing (Conservatives)

• More conservative and generally traditional. 

• On a social level, the right generally believes that a hierarchy in society is natural and normal. For them, the idea of a class system whereby the richer employ the poorer in a triangle is healthy because everybody benefits and it has historically been the natural order of things.

• Their economic policy (generally speaking) complements this, by promoting a form of capitalism which gives more economic freedom to big businesses. This means fewer regulations and lower taxes. They argue that as big businesses grow they create jobs for the working class and gradually everyone gets richer.

Introduction To Media

Introduction

Three Components; 

Component 1 - 35% Exam

Component 2 - 35% Exam

Component 3 - 30% Coursework

Component 1

- Analysing media language and representation

- Section A ; two questions, one on unseen media product (print or audio-visual), and one question comparing the representation to one known and one unseen product. 

- Section B ; understanding media industries and audiences 

Advertising

Print

• Codes and conventions
• Layout and design
• Composition
• Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus
• Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif), colour 
• Mise-en-scène – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 
• Graphics, logos etc.
• Language – slogan/tagline and copy 
• Anchorage of images and text
• Elements of narrative

Moving image

• Codes and conventions
• Camera work – framing, shot types, angle, position, movement
• Editing – pace, type of edits, continuity/montage Structure/narrative
• Sound – music/dialogue/voiceover 
• Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 

- The advert is selling handbags, I can tell this through the shot type used in the second image of the close up on the bag.

- The mise-en-scene of the props/costume used in the advert, the jewellery she wears which you can visibly see in the close up makes her seem quite fashionable and almost like a role model to other girls, so they see this advert and want to look as fashionable as her so they think in buying this bag it will help them to do so. 

- The print used to show the branding is very minimalist and visible making it obvious of the brand. 

Key Theory 1 - Roland Barthes - Semiotics

Anything that can have meaning

The thing that creates meaning

The meaning that is created

Signs, Signifiers, Signifieds

Signifiers - Lion

Signified - Roar, Big Cat

Hermeneutic Codes - Also known as the enigma codes, these refer to something within the media product that creates mystery and suspense. 

Proairetic Code - Also known as action codes, these refer to something within a media product that suggests that something will happen. 

Symbolic Code - Something within a media product that creates a deeper meaning for the audience

- Statistics - to convince the audience that their lashes will be much longer as its got the statistics to boost the selling of the product. Symbolises quality and trustworthiness 

- The model is pretty and her face is well defined, she's also got plump limps which is considered the new in beauty trend, so they're trying to convince people if they buy this mascara then they will have all these 'natural' beauty features along with it aswell. 

- The layout is extremely cluttered, perhaps targeting it to a C2DE audience (less informal people, as you have the top A1BC target audience) appeals to a more working class audience rather than a high end fashion magazine. 

- There is a close up on the models face clearly enhancing the volume and length to promote the advert. 

- Font is all sans serif, showing that the advert is informal, showing again the appeal to the 'cluttered lifestyle' audience. 

- Symbolic Code - Close up of models face symbolises desires to be attractive. 

-Symbolic Code - New York - setting, expensive, busy, appeals to people in a busy lifestyle, so its quicker to apply, so its showing the importance of makeup and the need to want it done quicker. 

- Hermeneutic Code - close up of makeup being applied, mystery of why model is doing her makeup/ where is she going.

- Proairetic Code - Close up of mascara wand floating over eye suggests makeup will be applied. 

- Symbolic Code -  The washed out colour in the background enhances the models face, making you think if you are wearing this then you will stand out. 

- Leather Jacket - connotations of  independence

- Numerous times of mascara shot, so we are extremely clear on what is being advertised to us as the target audience, so we don't need to look into the advert very much and it is a quick thing to scan and see and understand.