Learning Objectives

To develop an understanding of key media terminology

To begin to apply key media terminology appropriately

Media Questionnaire

Now tell the person next to you:

Your preferred type of media

A specific ‘text’ that you love and why.

A type of media that you never consume.

A text that you dislike and why.

Introduce the person next to you to the rest of the

group...

KS5 NSD

What impact does the media have?

What would you say was the biggest news event of your life?

How did you learn about it?

How did you react and respond to it?

How did the people around you respond to it?

Did it affect people elsewhere?

Has it changed the way you look at the world?

What do you understand by the following terms…

GENRE

TEXT

REPRESENTATION

INSTITUTION

AUDIENCE

NARRATIVE With a partner decide on brief

definitions.

What is…Picture A Picture B

An American Indian

An Eskimo

A young woman

An old woman

SemioticsSemiotics or semiology is studying how meaning is

constructed through signs and symbols.

Ferdinand de Saussure was a key player in

this area.

DOG

The letters D, O and G put together in that order are a

signpost which create meaning in the readers mind.

Normally we will think of a four legged creature with a

wagging tail. However, everyone’s image of the dog in their

mind will be different.

Symbols

This is obviously a lion!

But what ideas are

associated with a Lion?

In this case the Lion is

the:

SIGNIFIER

The meanings

associated are the:

SIGNIFIED

Just like words have associated meanings so do images.

Connotations and Denotations

Denotation

Is the actual meaning of

something or a

straightforward description

of what is shown.

Connotation

Is the meaning associated

with an image or a text due

to cultural or personal

experience.

What are the

DENOTATIONS and

CONNOTATIONS in this

advert?

Icons Both of these people can be

considered as ‘Iconic’ but

what are they icons of?

Analyse elements of the

images which reinforce

these ideas – look at body

language and gesture...

IconsIcons do not only have

to be people.

The Twin towers and

the attacks on the 11th

of September 2001 are

often considered as

iconic.

What do images of

the Twin Towers and

the attacks signify?