Media Theories and Language Flashcards

Flashcards based on Media Studies lecture notes for AQA Media Studies, covering key media theories, language, and CSP links.

What is the core idea behind Uses and Gratification Theory?

Audiences are active and choose media to fulfill specific needs, such as identity, surveillance/education, entertainment, and social interaction.

Name the four uses/gratifications that consumers seek from media products according to Uses and Gratification Theory.

Identity, Surveillance/Education, Entertainment, and Social Interaction.

What is the main idea behind Vladimir Propp's Narrative Theory?

Every narrative has at least seven different character types that contribute to the story.

Name at least five character types proposed by Vladimir Propp in his Narrative Theory.

The villain, the dispatcher, the (magical) helper, the princess/prize, the donor, the hero, the false hero.

What is the key idea behind Todorov's Narrative Theory?

Many stories follow the same narrative structure involving a transformation of character/story through equilibrium, disruption, recognition, repair, and a new equilibrium.

List the five stages of narrative structure according to Todorov's Narrative Theory.

Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition, Repair, and New Equilibrium.

What is the central concept of the Hypodermic Needle Theory?

The mass media has an immediate and powerful effect on the audience, injecting ideas and views into their minds.

Another name for Hypodermic Needle Theory is?

Magic Bullet Theory

Briefly explain Stuart Hall's Audience Reception Theory.

Audiences respond to media products in three main ways: preferred reading, negotiated reading, or oppositional reading, based on how they are positioned by the product.

What are the three types of readings according to Stuart Hall's Audience Reception Theory?

Preferred reading, negotiated reading, and oppositional reading.

Explain the main idea behind Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory.

Women in film are typically objects of the male gaze, seen primarily as objects of desire.

Define semiotic analysis in the context of media texts.

Analyzing the meaning of signs and symbols in media texts, focusing on both denotation and connotation.

What is the difference between denotation and connotation in semiotic analysis?

Denotation is the literal meaning (what is there), while connotation is how the meaning is interpreted (what does it represent).

What are technical codes in media products?

The technical aspects of making the media product, such as camera angles, lighting, and editing in a music video.

Define 'anchorage' in media terms.

Using another piece of media to clarify connotations and ensure the audience interprets the meaning correctly.

What is an 'icon' in media terms?

A recognizable representation with longevity, although its meaning may not be fixed or shared.

Explain the concept of 'narrative' in media products.

The elements of plot and story, which can be linear or non-linear.

Define 'exposition' as a narrative technique.

Background information designed to provide the viewer with explanations to prepare them for later events.

What are 'enigmas' in narrative techniques?

Mysteries offered by the narrative that will (hopefully) be solved.

Define 'closure' in terms of narrative techniques.

The satisfactory solution to the enigma; a well-rounded outcome or moment of resolution.

What is 'hybridity' in the context of genre theory?

A product that mixes themes and elements from two or more different genres together.

Define 'intertextuality' in media studies.

The relationship between media products, where one text includes references to another.

Briefly describe the linear model of communication.

A one-way process where a sender transmits a message and a receiver hears or sees it, without feedback or interaction.

What is 'constructed reality' in media terms?

The artificial construct created by producers, where content is deliberately selected and presented as reality.

Explain how technology impacts media products.

The availability of new technology and technical limitations impact narratives, affecting the structure of the narrative and effectiveness of the message.

What is meant by 'image manipulation' in media?

Using software like Photoshop to edit images, potentially distorting reality.

Define CGI, and its impact on media

Computer Generated Imagery impacts our sense of reality.

What is User Generated Content (UGC)?

UGC is online content such as blog posts, wikis, videos, comments etc. It effectively challenges the linear model of communication.

Define 'genre' in media theory.

Categories defined by codes and conventions, placing products into specific generic categories based on expectations and rules and use of Technical, Verbal, Symbolic codes, and Design.

Name some Key Media Industry terms related to ownership

Mergers, Demergers, Concentration, Conglomerate ownership, Diversification, Convergence, Horizontal Integration, Vertical Integration

Who are the main regulatory bodies in the UK media landscape?

OfCOM, IPSO, PEGI, ASA, and BBFC

What are the three main types of audience segmentation?

Geographic, Demographic, and Psychographic