lemon's 2nd media blog (Mr Bush) (Exam)

Notes Representation is a crucial key concept in A Level Media. Here we explore how the media represents different people, social groups, places and events - and discuss the impact on society and individuals. The key notes on  representation : Representation  is the process by which the media presents the ‘real world’ to an audience. Media texts are  artificial ,  constructed  versions of reality Even factual media – such as news – goes through processes of  selection ,  organisation and  editing  that shapes its content How are particular  people  and  groups  represented in the media? How and why are stereotypes  created? Why are certain social groups – in both a national and global context –  under - represented  or  misrepresented ? Mediation Media texts are a  construction  of reality, and play an important role in the way we view the world.  Reality is therefore subject to  mediation  which is the process that takes place when a media text’s meaning is cr

Public service broadcasting: notes Public service broadcasting refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve commercial interests. The media regulator  Ofcom  requires certain TV and radio broadcasters to fulfil certain requirements as part of their license to broadcast. All of the BBC's television and radio stations have a public service remit. The history of the BBC The BBC was created in 1922 in response to new technology – the radio (or wireless as it was called then). The BBC was set up to “inform, educate and entertain” – which is still its mission statement to this day.  The BBC funding model: license fee All BBC content (and some of Channel 4’s funding) comes from the License Fee, which costs £147 a year.  You need a TV Licence to: - watch or record live TV programmes on any channel - download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand. Some politicians want to scrap the license fee and change t

According to  Gillian Dyer  (Advertising as Communication, 1988) advertisers use, among other techniques,  lines of appeal  to create brand identities and attract their target audience. Media companies use these images, references or suggestions to tap into our desires and make us ‘feel part’ of the brand. Dyer suggested lines of appeal could be classified into 13 groups: Happy families - everyone wants to belong  Rich, luxurious lifestyles - aspirational  Dreams and fantasy  Successful romance and love  Elite people or experts  Glamorous places  Successful careers  Art, culture & history Nature & the natural world  Beautiful women - men AND women like looking at beautiful women, so the thinking goes: men admire them, women admire what makes the men admire them.  Self-importance & pride  Comedy & humour  Childhood - can appeal to either nostalgia or to nurturing instincts  5 Brands: 1) Nike: I would say the line of appeal that Nike fits into would

Cultural Industries: notes Hesmondhalgh discusses the way the cultural industries operate and explores their effect on audiences: “Of one thing there can be no doubt: the media do have influence.” He points out that societies with profitable cultural industries (e.g. USA, UK) tend to be dominated by large companies, have minimal government regulation and significant inequality between rich and poor. Do cultural industries reinforce these conditions? The cultural industries: a risky business Hesmondhalgh acknowledges that media companies are operating a risky business. There is no guarantee a creative product will be a success. They offset this risk both creatively and through business structure. In terms of media products, they use stars, sequels and well-known genres. In terms of business, they use vertical integration and diversification to spread their risk and maximise profit. Commodification Hesmondhalgh discusses commodification in the cultural industries

Conglomerate ownership A conglomerate is a large company composed of a number of smaller companies (subsidiaries). A media conglomerate, or media group, is a company that owns numerous companies involved in creating mass media products such as print, television, radio, movies or online. Examples include Comcast, 21st Century Fox or Disney. Vertical integration Vertical integration is when a media company owns a range of businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.  For example, a company might own the film studio that makes a film, the distributors that sell it to cinemas and then the movie channel that premieres it on TV. Vertical integration allows companies to reduce costs and increase profits – but it is not always successful if the parent company lacks expertise in certain areas. Horizontal integration Horizontal integration is when a media company owns a range of different media companies that are largely unrelated e.g. magazines, rad