Media Glossary
Media - Communicating information from one person to another.
Anchorage - is when a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the number of connotations in the first, therefore allowing the audience to interpret it much more easily. For instance, in a newspaper, pictures are accompanied by a caption that allows us to understand what the picture is showing us.
Media Language - The way that meaning is made using the conventions of the particular medium and type of media product. A broader category allowing candidates to write about elements of semiotics, genre, narrative, design, structure, codes and conventions, time and space, aesthetics, spoken and written and visual language to name a few examples.
Narrative - a spoke or written account of connected events; a story. Its the way the different elements in a story are organised to make a meaningful story. Some of these elements can be facts as in a documentary, or characters and action as in a drama.
Mise-en-scene - Mise-en-scene encompasses the most recognisable attributes of a film - the setting and the actors; it includes costumes and make-up, props, and all the other natural and artificial details that characterise the spaces filmed. When applied to the cinema, mise-en-scène refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—composition, sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting.
Editing - It is how a filmmaker puts together and considers cuts/cutting and applies transitions, special effects etc.
Camera work -
Media representations - how the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups
Media industries - how the media industries’ processes of production, distribution and circulation affect media forms and platforms
Media audiences - how media forms target, reach and address audiences, how audiences interpret and respond to them and how members of audiences become producers themselves.
'Media product' - refers to media texts, such as television programmes, newspapers, radio programmes etc., as well as to online, social and participatory media platforms
‘intertextuality’ - refers to the way aspects of a particular media product relate to another and thus accrue additional significance.
Decoding - understanding a media text.
Non Diegetic sound - Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action: narrator's commentary, sound effects which are added for the dramatic effect, mood music Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the source outside story space.
Gerbner Theory - Cultivation theory states that high-frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. Heavy viewers are exposed to more violence and therefore are affected by the Mean World Syndrome, the belief that the world is a far worse and dangerous place then it actually is. According to the theory, heavy viewing of television is creating a homogeneous and fearful populace, however, so many studies have been done in this area that really no one knows how or even if violence on TV or in film negatively or positively affects its audience. Now cultivation theory has taken on a more general definition in regards to mass media. It now extends to encompass the idea that television colours our perception of the world. For example; if someone stays inside and watch news about crime all day, they might be inclined to believe that the crime rate is far higher than it actually is and they might easily become the victim of a crime. Or in another sense heavy viewership of any media can perpetuate stereotypes both positive and negative. It really comes down to the question of to what extent does reality shape TV and vice versa.
Public Service Broadcasting - In the United Kingdom, the term "public service broadcasting" refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests.
Audience segmentation - a key activity within an audience analysis. It is the process of dividing a large audience into smaller groups of people - or segments - who have similar needs, values or characteristics
Digitally convergent media - Video games consoles are an excellent example of a digitally convergent device, you can not only play games but access social media, surf the internet, stream films and TV content and upload content into cloud-based servers. Cross-media content helps maximise profits and also improve reach to new customers.
Liesbet Van Zoonen: Feminist Theory - Suggests gender is constructed through discourse, and that its meaning varies according to cultural and historical context. Advocates that the very presentation of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture. Also presents that in mainstream culture, the visual and narrative codes that are used to construct the male body are different from those used to objectify the female body Codes- a system of words, letters.
Bell Hooks: Feminist Theory - Propose that feminism is a struggle to end sexist/patriarchal oppression and the whole ideology of domination. Suggest the idea that feminism is a political commitment rather than a lifestyle choice. Advocates that other factors, such as race and class, as well as sex, determine the extent to which individuals are exploited, discriminated against or oppressed.
Drama - What is TV drama? TV drama is a broad genre. At its simplest, it is fictionalised action in narrative form.
Long form TV drama - Long Form Drama is a term coined to describe the recent shift of interest towards television series of high quality that many consider to have replaced the cinema as a locus of serious adult entertainment. Unfolding over multiple episodes, hours, and even years, these TV shows are seen to provide a content, often dark and difficult, and an innovative style that strain against the conventions of cinema as well as network television.
Media convention - A code is a system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning.In media texts, we look at a range of different signs that can be loosely grouped into the following:technical codes - all to do with the way a text is technically constructed - camera angles, framing, typography etc. verbal codes ...
Media Language - The way that meaning is made using the conventions of the particular medium and type of media product. A broader category allowing candidates to write about elements of semiotics, genre, narrative, design, structure, codes and conventions, time and space, aesthetics, spoken and written and visual language to name a few examples.
Narrative - a spoke or written account of connected events; a story. Its the way the different elements in a story are organised to make a meaningful story. Some of these elements can be facts as in a documentary, or characters and action as in a drama.
Mise-en-scene - Mise-en-scene encompasses the most recognisable attributes of a film - the setting and the actors; it includes costumes and make-up, props, and all the other natural and artificial details that characterise the spaces filmed. When applied to the cinema, mise-en-scène refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—composition, sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting.
Editing - It is how a filmmaker puts together and considers cuts/cutting and applies transitions, special effects etc.
Camera work -
Representation - Representation is how media texts deal with and present gender, age, ethnicity, national and regional identity, social issues and events to an audience.
Stereotypes - These are a simplified representation of a person, groups of people or a place, through basic or obvious characteristics - which are often exaggerated.
Counter stereotypes - Are positive stereotypes. They Focus on positive elements of a group traditionally represented as bad.
Identity- is a socially and historically constructed concept. ... Social and cultural identity is inextricably linked to issues of power, value systems, and ideology. The media uses representations—images, words, and characters or personae—to convey specific ideas and values related to culture and identity in society.
Mediation- Every time we encounter a media text, we are not seeing reality, but someone’s version of it.
Ideology- These are ideas and beliefs, held by media producers, which are often represented in their media texts.
Social power - In social science and politics, power is the ability to influence or outright control the behaviour of people. The term "authority" is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure.
Hegemony - The dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others. (Just like the way the USA dominates over other nations).
Denotation - The primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feeling that the word suggests.
Connotation - An abstract meaning or intention of a term, similar to an implied meaning.
Semiotics - The study of signs and symbols and their use of interpretation
Masthead - The top section of a newspaper which gives the paper’s title, price and date. The font size is usually larger than the cover lines, and the colour of the masthead is different from the cover line colours to make sure it stands out.
Main Cover Line - The main cover line is smaller than the masthead but larger than the other cover lines. The font colour is the same as the other cover lines but it is written in bold near the masthead. It is meant to be an eye-catching cover line. After having read the masthead the reader's eye will go straight down to the main cover line. it is the biggest typeface on the page - apart from the masthead.
Left Page Third - A lot of important information designed to attract potential readers is placed in the left-hand side vertical third of the front cover page. This is in case the magazine is displayed in a horizontal shelving system rather than a vertical one.
"Puff" - An incentive which is placed on the cover to make something stand out. Usually by putting text into a shape.
Banners - Typically found at the top or bottom of a print media text - Skyline refers to the top of the media text - Headers and Footers
Broadsheet - Large format newspapers that report news in depth, often with a serious tone and higher level language. The news is dominated by national and international events, politics, business, with less emphasis on celebrities and gossip. Examples: The Independent, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph
Byline - A journalist's name at the beginning of a story.
Captions – Text below an image that describes the image or informs the audience who took the image.
Copy - Main text of a story.
Cover Line – Captions on a magazine front cover- Main cover line and sub cover lines.
Emotive Language – the use of language to generate specific emotional reactions in the target audience
Headlines – The text highlighting the main story being given priority by the producers of the print media text. Often designed to be eye-catching.
Inverted pyramid structure - Newspaper stories start with the main events. Then they give more details and eyewitness comments in short paragraphs. The paragraphs at the end of the story are less important than those at the beginning. This allows sub-editors to shorten stories by cutting paragraphs from the end.
Layout – How the print media text has been designed and formatted.
Sans Serif font – Font type which does not have lines perpendicular to the ends of letters e.g. Comic Sans – often seen as more contemporary. Think of Apple’s advertising.
Serif font – Font type which does have lines perpendicular to the ends of letters e.g. Times New Roman – generally seen as more traditional or higher class.
Splash – The front page story
Sub-headings – Smaller, typically one line headlines for other stories.
Tabloid - Smaller newspapers aimed at a large audience. The news is reported in less depth and emphasises human interest stories. The language level is lower, paragraphs and stories shorter, with more use of images. Content often includes more celebrities, media news and gossip. Examples: The Sun, The Mail, The Mirror, The Express
Text to image ratio – This involves considering how weighted the print media text is with regards to text and image – you need to ask yourself why the ratio exists.
Typography – The collective term when considering elements of print media relating to the style of the text such as the font, colour, serif, sans serif etc. It is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed.
Hegemony - The dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others. (Just like the way the USA dominates over other nations).
Denotation - The primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feeling that the word suggests.
Connotation - An abstract meaning or intention of a term, similar to an implied meaning.
Semiotics - The study of signs and symbols and their use of interpretation
Masthead - The top section of a newspaper which gives the paper’s title, price and date. The font size is usually larger than the cover lines, and the colour of the masthead is different from the cover line colours to make sure it stands out.
Main Cover Line - The main cover line is smaller than the masthead but larger than the other cover lines. The font colour is the same as the other cover lines but it is written in bold near the masthead. It is meant to be an eye-catching cover line. After having read the masthead the reader's eye will go straight down to the main cover line. it is the biggest typeface on the page - apart from the masthead.
Left Page Third - A lot of important information designed to attract potential readers is placed in the left-hand side vertical third of the front cover page. This is in case the magazine is displayed in a horizontal shelving system rather than a vertical one.
"Puff" - An incentive which is placed on the cover to make something stand out. Usually by putting text into a shape.
Banners - Typically found at the top or bottom of a print media text - Skyline refers to the top of the media text - Headers and Footers
Broadsheet - Large format newspapers that report news in depth, often with a serious tone and higher level language. The news is dominated by national and international events, politics, business, with less emphasis on celebrities and gossip. Examples: The Independent, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph
Byline - A journalist's name at the beginning of a story.
Captions – Text below an image that describes the image or informs the audience who took the image.
Copy - Main text of a story.
Cover Line – Captions on a magazine front cover- Main cover line and sub cover lines.
Emotive Language – the use of language to generate specific emotional reactions in the target audience
Headlines – The text highlighting the main story being given priority by the producers of the print media text. Often designed to be eye-catching.
Inverted pyramid structure - Newspaper stories start with the main events. Then they give more details and eyewitness comments in short paragraphs. The paragraphs at the end of the story are less important than those at the beginning. This allows sub-editors to shorten stories by cutting paragraphs from the end.
Layout – How the print media text has been designed and formatted.
Sans Serif font – Font type which does not have lines perpendicular to the ends of letters e.g. Comic Sans – often seen as more contemporary. Think of Apple’s advertising.
Serif font – Font type which does have lines perpendicular to the ends of letters e.g. Times New Roman – generally seen as more traditional or higher class.
Splash – The front page story
Sub-headings – Smaller, typically one line headlines for other stories.
Tabloid - Smaller newspapers aimed at a large audience. The news is reported in less depth and emphasises human interest stories. The language level is lower, paragraphs and stories shorter, with more use of images. Content often includes more celebrities, media news and gossip. Examples: The Sun, The Mail, The Mirror, The Express
Text to image ratio – This involves considering how weighted the print media text is with regards to text and image – you need to ask yourself why the ratio exists.
Typography – The collective term when considering elements of print media relating to the style of the text such as the font, colour, serif, sans serif etc. It is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed.
Tag - What goes underneath the coverline and gives extra meaning
Saturated colours - refers to the intensity of a colour, it is colour in its purest form. They are bright and stand out, especially when set against “complimentary colours). Muted Colours in the font are less eye-catching but work effectively.
Head - Common text at the top of the page, includes page number and headings above each column.
Mode of Address - The subject of the text communicates directly with the audience - always looking into the camera - getting the attention.
Media language - how the media through their forms, codes, conventions and techniques communicate meaningsMedia representations - how the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups
Media industries - how the media industries’ processes of production, distribution and circulation affect media forms and platforms
Media audiences - how media forms target, reach and address audiences, how audiences interpret and respond to them and how members of audiences become producers themselves.
'Media product' - refers to media texts, such as television programmes, newspapers, radio programmes etc., as well as to online, social and participatory media platforms
‘intertextuality’ - refers to the way aspects of a particular media product relate to another and thus accrue additional significance.
Semantic code - points to any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation which the story suggests. Connotation= cultural/underlining meaning, what it symbolises.
Verisimilitude - the appearance of being true or real. Verisimilitude, in a narrow sense, is the likeness or semblance of a narrative to reality, or to the truth. It comes from Latin: verum meaning truth and similis meaning similar.
Antagonist - gets in the way of the good person
Protagonist - the leading character or one of the major characters in a play
Vignette - middle = light; edges = dark; eyes drawn to middle
Codes - can be visual (you can see them) or aural (you can hear them). Codes have symbolic value. For example in our society wearing a pair of glasses (glasses are the code) symbolises, or connotates, that you are clever. TV drama, magazines and video games use these symbolic codes to generate character types and character archetypes.Antagonist - gets in the way of the good person
Protagonist - the leading character or one of the major characters in a play
Vignette - middle = light; edges = dark; eyes drawn to middle
Decoding - understanding a media text.
Semantic code - refers to parts within the text that suggests or refers to additional meanings. Elements of the semantic codes are called Semes
Enigma code - refers to the mystery in the text. clues are dropped, but no clear answers are given. Enigmas within the narrative make the audience want to know more
Close up - Shows detail of the subject and can create an emotional connection for the audience
Extreme close up - A tightly framed shot showing extreme detail, perhaps eyes or mouth
Mid shot - Shows in some detail whilst still giving some context
Wide shot - establishes the context and setting for the subject
Low angle shot (looking up) - Can give the impression that the subject is powerful
High angle shot (looking down) - Can give the impression the subject matter is vulnerable
Diegetic sound - Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film: voices of characters, sounds made by objects in the story, music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music), Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's worldNon Diegetic sound - Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action: narrator's commentary, sound effects which are added for the dramatic effect, mood music Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the source outside story space.
Part of Post Production Process - The stage in the film-making process in which sound and images are organised to construct an overall narrative. It is how a filmmaker puts together and considers cuts/cutting and applies transitions, special effects etc. to communicate a narrative to an audience; Remember that an audience is a non-active participant who must understand a narrative through the editing, they can only see what you show them; Imagine a film or even a scene from a film without any editing, it would be very interesting!
1 Action - Multiple Shots - Is multiple cuts to show one continuous action; Match on the action is part of invisible editing which creates flow when watching a scene; The cuts MATCH together so that the audience knows it is one action.
Shot reverse shot - is when a shot goes from shot A, shot B, shot A, shot B etc; It goes continuously back and forth between the 2 shots to show there is a connection between them; It is often used in conversations so you see what both characters are saying; It is a form of eye-line matching if the character is looking at someone and the next shot is what they look at; Imagine if a conversation was just 1 shot of character A and you didn’t see character B’s face at all?
Eye-line match - is the following shot that follows what character is looking at, makes cuts smoother the audience expects the cut to happen and is eager to see what happens next/what character sees.
Cross Cutting - Technique of continuously alternating 2 or more scenes that often happen simultaneously (at the same time) but in different locations; As they cross, pace gradually gets faster and fast and tension builds; Often the parallel scenes will intersect to create a climax.
Slow Pace - to make slow/calm/still; a little number of shots/cuts which are long; to make audience calm or bored (perhaps to pay attention to detail or to emphasise emotion).
Medium Pace - To make normal or comfortable; average number shots/cuts which are a medium time which cold show realism.
Fast Pace - To make intense, exciting and thrilling; lots of shots/cuts which are short; to make the audience tense/excited.
B&w –often used to show memory or time period
Contrast – to alter the lighting (or contrast = very light lights and dark darks sometimes with memories
Colour - to add a colour filter to show a specific mood; Example ‘The ring’ – many scenes are very blue-ish, which show sterile/coldness etc.
Animation – titles of shows or cartoons
CGI – computer generated images (example = avatar, planet of apes, polar express)
Fast forward/slow motion – speeding up or slowing down footage
Ghost trail – see multiple actions (overlapped) to show someone drunk or on drugs
Blur – to show un-clarity, or fuzzy memory/flashback (bee sting scene – some is blurry when Peeta coming)Gerbner Theory - Cultivation theory states that high-frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. Heavy viewers are exposed to more violence and therefore are affected by the Mean World Syndrome, the belief that the world is a far worse and dangerous place then it actually is. According to the theory, heavy viewing of television is creating a homogeneous and fearful populace, however, so many studies have been done in this area that really no one knows how or even if violence on TV or in film negatively or positively affects its audience. Now cultivation theory has taken on a more general definition in regards to mass media. It now extends to encompass the idea that television colours our perception of the world. For example; if someone stays inside and watch news about crime all day, they might be inclined to believe that the crime rate is far higher than it actually is and they might easily become the victim of a crime. Or in another sense heavy viewership of any media can perpetuate stereotypes both positive and negative. It really comes down to the question of to what extent does reality shape TV and vice versa.
Public Service Broadcasting - In the United Kingdom, the term "public service broadcasting" refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests.
Audience segmentation - a key activity within an audience analysis. It is the process of dividing a large audience into smaller groups of people - or segments - who have similar needs, values or characteristics
Digitally convergent media - Video games consoles are an excellent example of a digitally convergent device, you can not only play games but access social media, surf the internet, stream films and TV content and upload content into cloud-based servers. Cross-media content helps maximise profits and also improve reach to new customers.
Liesbet Van Zoonen: Feminist Theory - Suggests gender is constructed through discourse, and that its meaning varies according to cultural and historical context. Advocates that the very presentation of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture. Also presents that in mainstream culture, the visual and narrative codes that are used to construct the male body are different from those used to objectify the female body Codes- a system of words, letters.
Bell Hooks: Feminist Theory - Propose that feminism is a struggle to end sexist/patriarchal oppression and the whole ideology of domination. Suggest the idea that feminism is a political commitment rather than a lifestyle choice. Advocates that other factors, such as race and class, as well as sex, determine the extent to which individuals are exploited, discriminated against or oppressed.
Drama - What is TV drama? TV drama is a broad genre. At its simplest, it is fictionalised action in narrative form.
Long form TV drama - Long Form Drama is a term coined to describe the recent shift of interest towards television series of high quality that many consider to have replaced the cinema as a locus of serious adult entertainment. Unfolding over multiple episodes, hours, and even years, these TV shows are seen to provide a content, often dark and difficult, and an innovative style that strain against the conventions of cinema as well as network television.
Media convention - A code is a system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning.In media texts, we look at a range of different signs that can be loosely grouped into the following:technical codes - all to do with the way a text is technically constructed - camera angles, framing, typography etc. verbal codes ...
