Representation in

the media

• Media texts are re-presentation of reality.

• They are intentionally composed, targeted and

censored by their producers.

• Every media from is a representation of someone's

concept of existence. (home video – magazine)

• Everything is codified into a series of signs and

symbols for the audience to read.

Two way flow.

• However without media, our perception of the

world/reality would be very limited.

• We as a audience need these artificial texts to

mediate our view on the world (we need media to

make sense of reality).

Two way process:

• Producers position a text somewhere in the relation

to reality and audiences assess a text based in its

relationship to reality.

Extension and

restriction

“Reality is constructed and mediated”

• Media extend experience of reality.

• However our experience is restricted; we only see selected

highlights and views portrayed by the producers.

• “producers telescope events and personalities to fit into their

parameters.”

Truth or lies

• Media has a major impact on the way we view the

world.

• It can reinforces out prejudice or it can break them.

• Audiences accept that media texts are fictional to on

extent or another

• However we still base our perception of reality on

what we see in the media

When understanding representation plays in a media

text you must consider;

• Who produced it?

• What\who is represented in the text?

• How is that thing represented?

• Why was this particular representation selected and

what might the alternative have been?

• What frame of reference does the audience use

when understanding the representation?