Newspapers Key terms

representation

ways the media portrays people, groups, values and issues

• producers of media texts determine what the audience receives

• representation is constructed —> re-presentation of reality

mediation

process in which values and ideologies are transmitted by the media

• selecting and structuring representation

• e.g. a newspaper is a mediator as it chooses what stories to show

ideology

worldview, a system of values, attitudes and beliefs which are held as true and important

dominant ideology

ideas shared by the majority of people in society

Halls Reception Theory

producers encode meanings in media products, audiences decode meanings differently either in the dominant, negotiated or oppositional reading

Newsworthiness

process of selection is biased as it is dependent on board influences e.g. violent

News Agenda

list of items to be discussed in order of importance

• newspapers set agendas for readers as if they show one story predominantly readers will regard it as important

• reflects ideologies

gatekeeping

key role of editors and sub-editors of newspapers deciding which stories to cover and how

• reflects readers and newspapers ideologies

Conglomerate

A large business corporation that is comprised of a range of different parts or smaller businesses

vertical integration

This is when a Media Company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.

Synergy

This literally means ‘to work together’ and is where one form of media product ‘cross sells’ another form of media product to their mutual advantage of increasing sales/audiences. 

Plurality

This means  that there is a diversity of viewpoints available and consumed across and within the media industries and prevents any one media owner or voice having too much influence over public opinion and the political agenda.

distribution

This is the process of how the media product gets to its audience after production

Monopoly

This is when a sector of the media industry such as newspapers is dominated by one or a small number of large organisations.

consolidation

This is where a media company tries to maximise its power and profit by combining elements of its business into a more concentrated and more effective model.

horizontal integration

This is the process of a company expanding its media production in the same area of media. For example, one newspaper company buying another newspaper company. This can happen by internal expansion, merger or takeover and can lead to a monopoly.

Merger

This is where two or more companies, usually of similar size, combine to form a larger single company.

takeover

This is where a larger company buys a smaller company

convergence

This is the combination of different areas of the media coming together to maximise profit