Representation theory

Read the Media Magazine feature 'Representation old and new'. This is in MM51 on page 6 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article. Complete the following tasks:

1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies? Representation is an important concept in Media Studies because it creates meaning to something that'll appear in the media. The media has the power to change the representation so the audience can look at something in a completely different way. It changes the view of something which could change someone's opinion on something.


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

If the picture that is taken was with Kate's consent then it tells us that she has specifically chosen this outfit, location, pose etc. She might be trying tell the audience something however, if paparazzi took this photo, it was done without Kate's consent however she'll try to control the picture as much as possible.

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

Representations are there for a reason, it is trying to address a specific message for the audience. When producers are constructing representations, they'll need to consider: The expectations and needs of the target audience, the limitations provided by the genre codes, the narrative they wish to create and the institutional remit. Not all representations are accepted, some are rejected. The simplest things such as the colour of the wallpaper can create ideologies.

4) How does Stuart Hall's theory of preferred and oppositional readings fit with representation? Stuart Hall's theory of preferred reading is when the producer's intentions is agreed with the audience's views. Stuart Hall's oppositional reading is when the audience does not agree with the producers intentions. These theories fit in with representation because sometimes when the media try represent something, it often gets rejected by the audience (Oppositional reading) however, it also gets accepted by the audience (Preferred reading).

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

 New technology has changed the way representations are created in the media by using things like Instagram and YouTube. This allows the audience to construct and share their own media products e.g. YouTube Vlogs.  

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

An Example: Representing National Identity in Old and New Media Old media forms have always attempted to define and construct an identity for their audience, using certain types of representation to prescribe how people think about themselves and others. National identity is invariably raised during national sports
competitions. During the 2014 World Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to 22 million households in England which represented its own concepts of ‘Englishness’ by symbolic references – queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen – to heroes, values and behaviours that the paper (and its owners, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corps) defined as appropriate expressions of ‘English identity’.