Friday, 24 November 2017

Feminist Theory

Lisbet van Zoonen- Feminist theory
The idea that...
Gender is constructed through discourse, and that its meaning varies according to cultural and historical context.
The display of women's bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture
That in mainstream culture the visual and narrative codes that are used to construct the male body as spectacle differ from those used to objectify the female body.


Hegemony- the A grade concept

The dominant ideologyy is the social norms we're subjected too.

Hegemony is the power over us through consent and not through force. It is a system of control, and we follow the systems all the time.

Judith Butler- Gender theory- the idea the sex is what your born with either female or male. Gender is what you see yourself as- it's a performance.

Representation in a Daily Mirror article

One group represented in this article is teenage girls aged between 16-19 years old. We can see through the lexis that the author finds them 'sexy' this is shown through the phrase "scantily-clad women's sizzling selfies" which is repeated several times throughout the article. The article is also drawing the audiences focus to the teenage girls 'messy'  bedrooms.The lexis 'scantily-clad stunner' implies that the target audience is part of the older male generation who are more likely to describe someone like that.
The mise-en-scene in every photograph used has a messy scattered background which backs up their point the these teenagers can't take care of themselves. Also the mise-en-scene in every image is in the location of their bedrooms.
The message constructed in the article implies that women are more worried about sexualising themselves instead of looking after their rooms or themselves.
This presents a percific type of ideology that all women care about is being sexy, which objectifies women. 
The impact of this message causes issues in the presentation of women.





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5099651/Scantily-clad-women-upstaged-messy-bedrooms.html

Thursday, 23 November 2017

Study of representation- Structure



The study of representation looks at:
  1. Identify the group, place or issue on which a media text is focusing.
  2. The technical devices the media text uses in order to present these groups or issues.
  3. The message about the group or issue being created within the text.
  4. The impact of this message on the target audience.

Analysing bias and the construction of representation in 'The Times' and 'The Daily Mirror'- KEY TEXT



  • Masthead
  • Headline
  • Splash
  • Caption
  • Lead story
  • Folio

Daily Mirror are very anti-Trump therefore they are bias against Trump. As a result of this they are politically biased. Consequently changing the readers ideology, Making them hate trump.
The use of rhetorical interrogative critically make the reader think what situation has American got themselves into. Suggests that the target audience is English which is shown through the wording 'they'.The statue of liberty holding his head in shame connotes America is ashamed of themselves(American values presented through the statue). Mise-en-scene of the dark gloomy sky is a proairetic code as it suggests something bad is going to happen- war or destruction. The producers ideology is that they don't agree with the Americans people to vote Trump in.




  • Headline
  • Main image
  • Gutter
  • Pull quote
  • Body text
  • By-line
  • Stand first
  • Center spread
  • Splash
  • Page numbers

Infers that people only voted for Trump to get rid of immigrants, this is shown through the use of the bullet points. One intended audience response is anger and frustration at the voters. The use of the box makes critics think otherwise about which types of people voted not just stereotypical American's.The gesture of Hillary Klinton's head help high makes her seem powerful and well put together. The camera angle empathises her dominance. Hillary Klinton's positioning in front of the American flag makes her seem more for America whereas Trump is just in front of a blue background. The positioning of their images n the far left and far right empathises how different they are.





  • Page spread
  • Barcode
  • Splash
  • Main image
  • Pull quote
  • Mast head
  • Lead story

Here they are bias through selection and omission. The selection of language implies he has an impact on the whole world not just America. America is shown as something which is going to become a 'new world' not just for the select few but for everyone. The fist could stand as a symbol of unity. The quote on the left uses reassurance which implies not everyone is so sure of the choice in President even though they are a right winged newspaper. The repetition let's the target audience know his intentions. The use of personal pronouns makes it direct to the American's However the use of repetition is also sarcastic criticising the selection of Trump. The use of 'you will be' sounds forceful and commanding.












Newspaper key terms- Features

Features of Newspapers:

Front pages usually always contain large text with an important and central headline
It's structured and often set out so that there is much more emphasis on the head text rather than images
It is different to a magazine because magazines have more emphasis on a main photograph

Masthead - Title of a newspaper
Barcode - Used to scan a newspaper when purchasing
Caption - Brief text underneath an image describing the photograph or graphic
Headline - A phrase that summarises the main point of the article
Main Image - Dominant picture, often filling much of the front cover
Page Numbers - A system of organisation within the magazine, helps the audience find what they want to read
Target Audience - People who the newspaper aims to sell to
Pull Quote - Something taken from the article
Classified Advert - Advertisement that only uses text
Skyline - Information panel on the front page that tells the reader about what is inside
Edition - Some newspapers print several of these every night, these are versions with some changes and maybe additional late stories
Stand First - Block of text which introduces the story, normally in a different style to the body of text and headline
Byline - The line above the story giving the authors name, sometimes the job and location
Body Text - Also known as a copy. Written material that makes up the main part of the article.
Standalone - Picture story that can exist on its on or on a front page leading to a story inside
Centre Spread - A photograph, often in full colour, that runs across the middle of two pages.
Lead Story - Main story, usually a splash
Gutter - The blank space between the margins of facing pages
Folio - Top label for the whole page
Page Furniture - Everything on the page except the pictures of text of stories

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Constructing Representation

Advantages for newspapers demonstrating a particular political/ideology bias:

  • To control people/ form of control
  • To appeal to their target audience
  • To make money
  • To gain the support of a political party
  • The support of a political party can gain the newspaper information/sources before others

Tabloid VS Broadsheet


  • Contains more of a gossip type of news
  • Contains more images
  • Contains things you care about but things you don't really need to know
  • Smaller (size)
  • Aimed more at the working class
  • They focus on gossip 
  • More colourful
  • Splash- used for a large eye catching image 
  • Easier to distinguish as they have the large red top
  • Larger headlines


  • More expensive
  • Contains more political information
  • Contains "actual" news
  • Contains news you need to know about
  • A larger newspaper (size)
  • Contains more words
  • Has less images
  • Focuses on factual news
  • Serious
  • Require you to have higher literally skills
  • The story is printed on the front page/ looks like the inside of a newspaper


Polysemy- Multiple meanings. Not everything has a single meaning.
In newspapers producers try to typically attempt to avoid polysemic readings.
The process of forcing an audience in to a particular reading is called anchoring.


Anchorage- The 'fixing' of a a particular meaning to a media text, often through the use of captions.






Possible reasons for the group protesting-clenched fist connotations:

  • Power
  • Strength
  • Anger
  • Hope
  • Unity  
  • Makes people think they should be on their side(persuasive)
  • Hatred 
  • Contradiction 
  • Binary oppositions 
  • Cheering



  • They are a red paper, the labour party used red therefore could show their support
  • Positive bullet points, shows equality
  • Photo with his thumb up shows positivity
  • Bullet points anchor the audience
  • Shows him looking happy and positive 
  • Shows him as a hero and the only option 
  • The Morning star doesn't need to try hard to show him positively 




  • They think Corbin is literally rubbish
  • They don't support the labour party
  • Long bullet point list makes Corbin look bad and that there's more problems with him
  • The use of 'we' is positioning and mode of address as it refers to the audience and the producers ideology
  • Bullet points anchor the audience
  • Very blunt
  • The sun tries very hard to present Corbin negatively 




Bias- You lean towards a certain opinion
Where the producers of a text demonstrate a prejudice towards a certain group, or favouritism towards another. A one sided perspective.

Agenda- a set goal, when you try and do something with your opinions
the ideological goals of a media product. Often a media product will attempt to change the ideology of an audience, for example in a party political broadcast









Friday, 17 November 2017

Ideology and Representation in Newspapers


"If it bleeds it leads"- Phrase used by journalists


Newsworthiness- The process of selecting which stories to include, involves weighing up different stories.

Broadsheet newspaper- Traditional large newspaper, much more formal with a middle class audience

Tabloid newspaper- Informal newspaper, typically with a red masthead(title).

Intertextuality- When a media product makes sense only be referencing another media product. Barthes also referred to this process as referential codes. How we make sense of the world.



  • Stuart Hall came up with reception theory, meaning the audience decodes it in the way that they feel they want it read.
  • Refers to disaster films ' Tram crash'.
  • Biblical appocoalist.
  • Weeping angels.
  • The sky would indicate the new world war.
  • Looks like D-Day.
  • Symbolic code showing she's ashamed with her hands covering her face.
  • The use of 'speeding' makes the title more exciting, showing that the headline wouldn't of been as interesting without that word.






  • Newspapers are politically biased- Some people agree that newspapers are political biased putting the journalists opinions across. 
  • American news is much more dramatic, panicky and known sometimes as 'action news'.
  • Also American news is more biased compared to English news which could be because America's t.v is paid for through sponsors.


  • England has biased newspapers and unbiased TV where as america has biased TV and unbiased newspapers.
  • Newspapers tend to offer a very negative view on the world. This is often true as it catches people's attention more than someone winning an oscar. 

Ideology- A system of deals and beliefs, often used to describe the ways in which those in power use their power to distort meaning. ideology can be used to normalise the dominant ideas of the ruling class.



Newspapers have either left wing or right wing ideologies.

Left wing:
Left wing beliefs are usually progressive in nature, they look to the future, aim to support those who cannot support themselves, are idealist and believe in equality.
In the UK the main left wing parties are the Labour Party and the Green Party.
They believe those with more money should get taxed more to help those in need/ less fortunate situations.
Ideology
Is the NHS
Free education paid for by everyone

Right wing:
Right wing beliefs value tradition, they are about equity, survival of the fittest, and they believe in economic freedom.
In the UK the main right wing parties are the Conservative (or Tory) Party, and UKIP (who focus on the UK not being a part of the European Union).
They believe in individual success and that those who work hard should get to keep the money they've worked for instead of giving to those who sit at home and do nothing.








Tuesday, 14 November 2017

Introduction to newspapers


Newspaper unit looks at all 4 aspects:

  • Media language 
  • Representation
  • Audience 
  • Industry


Institution- The values and ideology of a media production.
Industry- The method of producing something.



The use of pastel colours make the colour seem more inviting, approachable and colourful.
The choice of students displayed in the website create an ideology of a chilled and laid back atmosphere which is expecting of all students. Also the students connote originality for example Isobel with her pink hair and statement clothing. One of the ideologies is you can do which ever subject you like no matter what you look like or who you are.
Long Road website must have values and ideologies displayed on there website because they need student as they bring in money which they need. Therefore there's strong competition. Long road is a business.





Logos:

  

Shell Logo:
  • Colours are bright and blocky.
  • The yellow and red could symbolise fire which symbolises fire and combustion which is related to fuel/oil.
  • The logo represents a oil/fuel company, therefore the shape (shell) is effective as it represents the sea and fossils which the product is made of.
  • The shape also looks like an empty petrol gage.
  • The colours could also represent power and royalty.
  • Symbolic of routine as it looks like a sunrise also making it bright and optimistic. 
  • Sharp lines suggest it being fast.


Starbucks Logo:
  • American- statue of liberty on the logo.
  • Mermaid as part as the logo.
  • Colour green- colour of money in America.
  • Wavey lines makes the audience feel tired making them want a coffee.
  • We know she is female because of her hair and females and mermaids are often liked together.
  • Colour green connotes natural.




First impressions:
  • Tabloid newspaper
  • Assumes the audience is all english and knows what the slang term "Corrie" means/is referring to.
  • Picture os trump creates a reaction out of the audience.
  • Comes across as if it is filled with gossip.
  • Looks very similar to a tabloid magazine.
  • Makes light of a serious issue.









Tuesday, 7 November 2017

I, Daniel Blake (Loach, 2016) Notes

Domestic Box Office PerformanceJun 8, 2017Jun 15,2017Jun 22,2017Jun 29,2017Jul 6, 2017Jul 13,2017$0$75,000$150,000$225,000$300,000
Chart Datevalues
Jun 8, 2017$78,422
Jun 11, 2017$120,626
Jun 15, 2017$159,954
Jun 18, 2017$191,657
Jun 22, 2017$209,294
Jun 25, 2017$228,653
Jun 29, 2017$239,718
Jul 2, 2017$245,269
Jul 6, 2017$250,337
Jul 9, 2017$252,282
Jul 13, 2017$256,590
Jul 16, 2017$258,168
Jul 20, 2017$260,354
Compare this performance with other movies…
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office$260,354Details
International Box Office$8,897,877Details
Worldwide Box Office$9,158,231
,058,685
Inflation Adjusted
Domestic Box Office
$260,354$170,038,229
International Box Office$8,897,877$40,985,196
Worldwide Box Office$9,158,231$202,043,881
 I, Daniel
Blake
Straight
Outta Compton
Domestic Release DateJun 2, 2017Aug 14, 2015
Production Budget $28,000,000
Opening Weekend Theaters2,757
Maximum Theaters453,142
Theatrical Engagements14717,941
Domestic Opening Weekend $60,200,180
Domestic Box Office$260,354$161,058,685
Inflation Adjusted
Domestic Box Office
$260,354$170,038,229
International Box Office$8,897,877$40,985,196
Worldwide Box Office$9,158,231$202,043,881
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