Untitled Flashcards Set

Representation

·      How media depicts people, events, and issues, shaping audience understanding through inclusion, exclusion, and framing (e.g., race, gender, class).

Audience

·      Media consumers who interpret content based on culture, background, and experiences, while producers target specific demographics.

Ideology

·      The beliefs and values embedded in media that reinforce or challenge social norms and power structures.

Media Ownership and Control

·      Who owns media and its impact on content. Concentration limits diversity; public or independent ownership may offer alternative perspectives.

Media Literacy

·      Critical analysis of media to identify biases, agendas, and intentions, empowering informed consumption and creation.

Media History

·      The narrative record of media’s evolution.

Media Historiography

·      Analysing and theorizing media history.

Media Materiality

·      Media as physical objects influencing interaction and politics.

Reliable Sources

·      Evidence assessed for context and quality in research.

Media Life

·      Media's integration into daily life, shaping identities, communication, and perception.

Self-Presentation Theory

·      Managing impressions in social interactions, as theorized by Erving Goffman.

Market

·      Systems for exchanging goods, services, or assets.

Commodity

·      Standardized goods for trade, like oil or grain.

Supply and Demand

·      How availability and desire determine prices.

Political Economy

·      How politics influence economics, focusing on governance and policy impacts.

Types of Media Ownership

• Corporate: Large companies dominate.

• Public: Government-owned.

• Independent: Smaller, private outlets.

• Conglomerates: Companies owning multiple outlets.

• Oligopolies: Few firms dominate media.

• Vertical Integration: Control over production and distribution stages.

• Media Plurality: Diverse ownership and viewpoints.

Cultures of Production

·       Media production as cultural work, shaped by professional and informal practices reflecting power dynamics.

Platform Capitalism

·       Tech giants dominating industries via data-driven platforms.

Class

·       Socioeconomic hierarchies based on wealth, occupation, and culture.

Hegemony

·       Dominant social order upheld by politics, culture, and civil society.

Discourse

·       Ideas structured through language.

Rhetoric

·       Language used to persuade or serve a purpose.

Language

·       The building blocks of communication, shaped by grammar and syntax.

Meaning

·       How messages are interpreted.

Mediation

·       Processes content undergoes before reaching audiences.

Mise-en-scène

·       Visual elements in media (sets, props, lighting) creating mood and context.

Semiotics

·       Study of how signs and symbols convey meaning.

Denotation

·       Literal meaning of a sign.

Connotation

·       Cultural or emotional associations of a sign.

Intertextuality

·       Media referencing or shaping other texts.

Stereotypes

·       Oversimplified portrayals of groups, perpetuating biases.

Visibility

·       Representation doesn’t always equal empowerment.

Genre

·       Codes, conventions, and themes organizing media for creators and audiences.

Narrative

·       Organized sequence of events in media.

Realism

·       Perception of authenticity in media.

Documentary

·       Non-fiction media presenting reality for educational or political purposes.

Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

·       Imaginative storytelling vs. fact-based communication.

High vs. Low Culture

• High: Elite cultural works (e.g., classical music, literature).

• Low: Mass-appeal products (e.g., soap operas, fast food).

Hybrid Genre

·       Blends elements from multiple genres, often in reality TV.

Active vs. Passive Audiences

·      Audiences as selective participants vs. media shaping passive viewers.

Theme

·      Recurring patterns expressing universal or societal meanings.

Allegory

·      Texts conveying hidden moral or social messages.

Fandom

·      Communities of fans sharing cultural engagement.

Subcultures

·      Distinct groups within larger cultures (e.g., goth, punk).

Interactivity

·      Audience participation in shaping media experiences.

Convergence

·      Content flowing across platforms and industries.

Advertising

·      Culturally dependent messages aimed at selling.

Consumer Society

·      Consumption as a core part of modern life, amplified by advertising.

Public Relations (PR)

·      Managing relationships between organizations and their publics