Representation: blog tasks

 1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies?

The word representation itself holds a clue to its importance. When we see a person, place, object or idea being represented in a media text, it has in some way been mediated by the very act of representation. A representation is a re-presentation (literally – to present work helps us to identify the way media products create ideological meaning.

2) How does the example of Kate Middleton show the way different meanings can be created in the media?

A photographer takes her picture. If this is an official picture, Kate and the royal team will have given considerable thought to the outfit she is wearing, the location of the image, her pose, facial expressions etc. This could help to create ideological meaning as just one element of the overall representation.

3) Summarise the section 'The how, who and why of media representation' in 50 words.

• the expectations and needs of the

target audience

• the limitations provided by genre

codes

• the type of narrative they wish to

create

 • institutional remit.

4) How does Stuart Hall's theory of preferred and oppositional readings fit with representation?

In the wallpaper/ family values example, you may support the implied ideologies, and

therefore you might accept the intended meaning. However, some audiences may only partially accept the meanings being offered by a text; Hall calls this the negotiated position. Other audiences might reject them completely (the oppositional position).

5) How has new technology changed the way representations are created in the media?

Individuals can now engage in the act of self- representation, often on a daily basis, through the creation of social media profiles and content. the style of a specific selfie, the identification with our favourite book or film, or the clothes we choose to be seen wearing become the ‘media language’ choices we make when constructing our own identities online.

6) What example is provided of how national identity is represented in Britain - and how some audiences use social media to challenge this?

Old media like The Sun portray through symbolic references to promote their idea of English identity. However,  social media forums and comment pages allowed many people to voice their rejection of the messages. Through self representation, they were able to show that they distanced themselves from the values in the tabloid newspaper. 

7) Write a paragraph analysing the dominant and alternative representations you can find in the clip from Luther.

In Luther, boss is a white woman which is both dominant and alternative. Dominant because she is a white person in a more dominant position than Luther, but alternative because she is a woman in a position of power. Luther also has both dominant and alternative representations. Dominant because he was sacked from his job for not following the rules, but alternative because is a black person working in the law enforcement field when typically he'd be expected to be the criminal in a crime drama like this. 

8) Write a paragraph applying a selection of our representation theories to the clip from Luther. Our summary of each theory may help you here:

Medhurst - it can help audiences identify people quickly.