WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Media Studies: Student Book

1 The Media Studies Theoretical Framework Analysing Media Products When you analyse a media product, it is important to consider the meanings communicated. It is helpful to start by thinking about the different elements of media language in a product, for example a headline in a newspaper or an image on a magazine cover. In Media Studies, we analyse products using a system called semiotics . We need to consider each element of media language, or sign , that is used and consider the following: • The denotation of a sign: this is its literal meaning. For example, a picture of an oak tree denotes a tree. • The connotation of the sign: this relates to the meanings we associate with a sign. So, a tree might connote nature, or something natural. A media producer could use a tree or leaf to encode this kind of meaning. For example, an advertisement for a cleaning product containing natural ingredients might feature a picture of a leaf. Similarly, an oak tree gives specific connotations of strength and power – as oak trees grow to be large, tall and solid – and stability and endurance – as oak trees can live for many hundreds of years. Connotations are often linked to culture. The oak tree has symbolic meaning in many cultures. The ‘royal oak’ is important in British history, for example, as it is the tree in which the future king, Charles II, hid during the Civil War. An oak tree could be used to connote history and tradition in a British media product, but an audience from a different culture might not understand this. Many media products are polysemic ; they communicate different meanings and so can be decoded in a variety of ways. As noted above, a picture of an oak tree has many connotations and different audiences might interpret the same image in different ways. In addition, while you might begin by analysing each element of a product separately, you will need to consider the combination of those elements and the meanings communicated by the product as a whole. An oak tree carries symbolism and can connote many different meanings. Semiotics A system for analysing products that interprets meanings on two levels: denotation – the literal meaning – and connotation – the deeper or associated meaning. Sign Any element of a media product that communicates meaning, for example a photograph or logo. Key Terms Connote The way in which a sign communicates underlying meanings. (An image of a rose might connote romance.) Polysemic Communicating different meanings through the use of signs that can be interpreted in different ways. Key Terms Always analyse the connotations of a media product and think about the meanings that these communicate. Top Tip Find some examples of media products and analyse the connotations of the images (or signs) in the text. Stretch and Challenge 1.1 Look at each of these four images: • What is the denotation of the image? • What are the connotations of the image? • How might a producer use the image to communicate polysemic meanings in a media product? Activity 1.1 15

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