Media Studies Terminology

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Intertextuality

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Mentioning a text within another text which exists in various forms i.e. James Bond in a Stella Artois advert

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Genre

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A way of classifying a text

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Action Codes

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Analysing what events occur in a scene. i.e. The way the actors move around a scene, stunts etc

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Alliteration

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Repetition of consonants for effect and to make the phrase more memorable. Used frequently in tabloid headlines and on magazine covers to draw the audience in

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Audio Codes

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Analysing what the audience can hear in a scene i.e. Diegetic/Non-Diegetic Sound

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Binary Opposition

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Invented by Levi-Strauss, this theory suggests that narratives are propelled by conflicts. e.g. Black/White, Dark/Light, Good/Evil, Law/Crime etc

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Caption

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Words beneath an image which give it meaning

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Colloquialism

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An informal expression which you'd use in a speech but not in formal writing. Used especially by tabloids and magazines e.g. 'Bloke', 'Fella'

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Conglomerate

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A large organisation that owns many smaller companies. i.e. Rupert Murdoch's 'News Corporation'

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Connotation

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The implied meaning of an image. e.g. A picture of the sun might connote holidays, summer, happiness, warmth etc

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Conventions

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The rules that texts within a particular genre tend to stick to. e.g. The conventions of crime dramas include: car chases, arrests, evidence and crime scenes etc. Texts often deliberately reference their conventions or defy them to give the audience pleasure

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Copy

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The words of an advert, article etc

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Denotation

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The obvious or literal meaning of an image e.g. An image of the sun denotes the sun

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Diegetic Sound

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Sound that occurs naturally in a scene/ the sound that the actors can hear

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Direct Mode of Address

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When a text "talks" directly to the audience

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Effects

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The impact a text has on its audience. Some people argue over the positive or negative influence of the media on groups of people, often children

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Enigma

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A central question posed by a text. Enigmas are used to draw the audience in, to keep them guessing and are a key part of the pleasure audiences get from texts.

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Framing

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The layout of a page or screen/ how objects are arranged

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Genre

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The type or category that a text falls into e.g. Horror, Science Fiction etc, they can be defined by; Typical characters, narratives or situations, settings, themes, iconography etc

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Gesture Codes

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Analysis of a character's body language, facial expressions etc

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Hypodermic Syringe Theory

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This theory believes that audiences are totally passive. Producers are able to "inject" ideologies into the audience directly.

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Hyperbole

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Deliberate exaggeration for effect i.e. "Massive Savings!"

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Icon

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A very easily recognisable image e.g. Elvis, Madonna, David Beckham etc

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Iconography

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The objects and symbols in an image or scene

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Ideologies

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The ideas, values and beliefs embedded in a text. e.g. 'Toy Story' contains ideologies of working together, family, The American Dream etc

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Inclusive Pronouns

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Words that give us a sense of belonging to a group e.g. 'We', 'Us', 'Our'. Often used on the front covers of magazines to draw the audience in

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Indexical Sign

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A sign which indicates the passing of time e.g. Falling leaves, or a place i.e. Big Ben

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Inoculation Theory

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Audiences are constantly bombarded with a set of image, as a result, becomes immune to their messages. i.e. Watching lots of violent or horrific films may make the audience less sensitive to violence or graphic images

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Interrogative Text

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One which asks a question of the reader e.g. 'Do you want to look great for summer?'

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Jargon

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Specialist vocabulary associated with an occupation or interest. e.g. In Science Fiction films the characters often use scientific or technical vocabulary

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Juxtaposition

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When contrasting images are used to produce effect. e.g. 'Before' and 'After' shots

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Layout

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The way objects on the page have been arranged to attract the reader's eye

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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

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Maslow believed that we use texts to satisfy needs and that most successful texts satisfy more of these needs; Psychological, Safety, Social, Esteem and a Sense of Achievement

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Mise-En-Scene

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A french term that means 'arranging the frame'. Mise-en-Scene is the term for visual codes and includes everything you see in a frame e.g. Lighting, Framing, Dress Codes, Iconography, Colour, Setting etc

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Mode of Address

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How a text 'speaks' to the audience

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Montage

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In film, use of rapid cutting between scenes. Often used to show time passing or to compress many narratives into a short space of time

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Moral Panic

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The idea that an event, person or group, become a threat to society's values and interests

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Multi-Layered Narrative

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A narrative that has many 'strands' or individual story lines occurring at the same time