Media language:
Front page- use of American iconography e.g. Statue of Liberty draws the
reader’s attention, her weeping creates meaning and suggests the political
stance of the newspaper, the background includes dark clouds which could
be seen as foreshadowing for future events, the headline “What have they
done?” juxtaposes the image as it positions the American voters as the ones
to blame for Trump’s victory
America’s Brexit- this article likens the US election outcome to Brexit by
highlighting immigration concerns and loss of jobs as central to voters
decision to vote for Trump
Roland Barthes: semiotics- use of American iconography will have cultural
significance for the reader who can create meaning
Levi Strauss: structuralism- use of the pronoun “they” in the front-page
headline “What have they done?” creates an immediate binary opposition of
‘us and them’ and lays blame on the American people for Trump’s win and
creates the suggestion that this has a global impact and therefore particular
ideological significance
Industry:
Owned by the Trinity mirror group, was once the most popular tabloid in the
UK but has had a large drop in sales, this is partly down to online media
To respond, ‘Mirror Online’ has been launched as well as a social media
presence, the website offers interactive elements such as polls, competitions,
and the ‘Got a story?’ submissions feature, after the Trump victory online
users discussed this on an online forum
The Trinity group is the largest national and regional multimedia content
publisher in the UK with 105 newspaper titles across the UK and Ireland
Is part of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) which is a
regulatory body funded by the industry
Curran and Seaton- The Trinity Group have maintained their position in the
market by diversifying into regional news creating conditions for more
varied and adventurous media products
Livingstone and Lunt- must adhere to the guidelines in the industry
Hesmondhalgh- horizontally integrated with many titles
Daily Mirror//Newspapers
Representation:
In the article there are several images used of Trump supporters that all
demonstrate similar patriotic codes of dress (red, white and blue clothing
dominates with one man in a stars and stripes suit)
Body language suggests jubilation and clear support- one woman wearing
boxing gloves that could connote her being willing to ‘battle’ and win
Stuart Hall: representation- representation of Trump and his supporters is
constructed, using media language to create meaning for the audience, the
use of these ‘signs’ by the newspaper suggest that Trump and his supporters
belong to a specific cultural group of predominantly white, middle class
men, transmitting ideas about inequalities of power and the subordination
of certain social groups
Audience:
Grouped and organised- predominately C2DE, 35+ and are working class
Labour supporters
Interaction- highlights Trump’s right-wing conservatism and attempts to
instil fear in the reader through the use of rhetoric and emotive language in
the headline
How audience interpretations reflect social, cultural and historical
circumstances- highlighting Trump’s intentions for America will potentially
enrage readers with a left-wing stance, this is furthered by the use of
pronouns such as ‘we’ to suggest the impact that Trump’s victory will have
Gerbner: cultivation theory- audience exposure to repeated patterns of
representation by newspapers may shape their opinions
Stuart Hall: reception theory- able to promote a hegemonic-dominant
reading of its viewpoint through the use of encoding and decoding
Shirky: end of audience- submitting stories and being a part of forums
Media language:
Chose an image across both the front and back pages of Trump celebrating
his victory against a backdrop of the American flag
Use of American iconography connotes patriotism
Code of dress (suits) connote a business approach, wearing red and blue
ties to again reflect American iconography
“The New World: Donald Trump sends shockwaves around the Globe”-
powerful and maintains a neutral approach which encourages readers to
establish their own viewpoint
Roland Barthes: semiotics- use of American iconography
Levi Strauss: structuralism- use of headline “The New World” positioned
over Trump’s jacket invites readers to question what the impact of Trump’s
presidency will be, which is reiterated through the use of the subheading
“Donald Trump sends shockwaves around the Globe”
Industry:
News UK is a British-based, American-owned newspaper publisher, and a
subsidiary of the American mass media conglomerate News Corp; News
Corp is a newly formed company, which concentrates on newspapers and
publishing, also produces The Sun
Company has demonstrated a predominantly right wing political allegiance
One of the first companies in the UK to introduce an online newspaper but
also with paywalls (readers must pay)
Also, a part of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO),
regulatory body funded by the industry
Curran and Seaton- horizontally and vertical integrated company, as well as
a large conglomerate which could limit creativity
Livingstone and Lunt- must adhere to industry guidelines
Hesmondhalgh- vertically and horizontally integrated with a wide range of
titles, maximising audience and minimising risk, creating an online
presence also did this
The Times//Newspapers
Representation:
Both Trump and Pence represent the stereotypical white, middle class, male
politician and their strong Christian, conservative values were used
throughout the election campaign to encourage the American public to vote
Republican
Selection and combination constructing- both Trump and Pence are
dressed in tailored business suits which represent them as business like and
conservative in their appearance, they are both wearing flag badges
symbolic of patriotism and commitment to their cause, the use of coloured
ties is symbolic of the American flag
Stuart Hall: representation- representation of the men is constructed, the
use of these ‘signs’ suggest that Trump and his team belong to a specific
cultural group of predominantly white, middle class men, the use of
representation transmits ideas to the reader about inequalities of power and
the subordination of certain social groups
Audience:
Grouped and categorised- predominately ABC1, 35+ with a right-wing
stance
Interpretations- takes a fairly neutral approach which allows readers to
negotiate their own response
How audience interpretations reflect social, cultural and historical
circumstances- use of the headline “A New World” may be an intertextual
reference to ‘Brave New World’ which shows a frightening potential vision
of the future dominated by behavioural conditioning
Gerbner: cultivation theory- exposure to repeated patterns by newspapers
can shape and influence audience’s views and opinions
Stuart Hall: reception theory- promotes a negotiated reading
Shirky: end of audience- can submit their own opinion through forums and
online media
Product context:
Procter & Gamble launched Tide in 1946, designed specifically for heavy-
duty machine cleaning, quickly became America’s brand leader and still is
today
The D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B) advertising agency handled
P&G’s accounts throughout the 1950s
Its campaigns for Tide referred explicitly to P&G because their market
research showed that consumers had high levels of confidence in the
company
Uniquely, DMB&B used print and radio advertising campaigns concurrently
in order to quickly build audience familiarity with the brand
Both media forms used the ‘housewife’ character and the ideology that its
customers ‘loved’ and ‘adored’ Tide
Representation:
Social and political contexts- intertext to consider, ‘Rosie The Riveter- We
Can Do It!’, challenges stereotypical views of women being confined in the
domestic sphere, also in the 1950s while men were being targeted for the car
industry, women were being targeted for the new technologies, advertising
stereotypical representations of domestic perfection
Selection and combination constructing- dress code shows typical 1950s
hairstyle which is practical and the fashion due to women working in
factories, the head scarf reinforces this
Stuart Hall: representation- comic strip create meaning to the world, the
world presented in familiar to the target audience
David Gauntlett: identity- women act as role models of domestic perfection
Van Zoonen: feminist- uses non-sexist language and images, against theory
bell hooks: feminist- only present white women
Tide//advert
Media language:
Historical context- Post WWII consumer boom of the 1950s included the
rapid development of new technologies for the home
Cultural context- in the early stages of advertising, there tended to be more
copy as consumers needed more information about the products
Composition- rough rule of thirds/Z-line
Bright, primary colours connote positive associations
Roland Barthes: semiotics- suspense through enigma of “what women want”
(Hermeneutic code), emphasised by ! (proairetic), sematic code can be
applied to the hearts, hyperbole and superlatives through “Miracle”,
“World’s cleanest wash!”, “World’s whitest wash!” used to connote the
superiority of Tide (symbolic code)
Levi Strauss: structuralism- “Tide gets clothes cleaner than any other
washday product” creates binary oppositions between Tide and its
competitors
Audience:
Social context- despite roles in society being challenged the domestic
products were still directed at the female audience
How audiences are targeted- audience demographic constructed through
the presentation of the woman who they may personally identity with (uses
and gratifications theory)
Stuart Hall: reception- dominant message is that Tide is the best through
the lexical field of words such as “trust”, “miracle”, “truly safe”
Gerbner: cultivation- advert from 1950s, theory from 1970s, Tide aims to
cultivate the idea that this is the brand leader, the repetition of these
messages convinces the reader, especially through the use of print and radio
advertising
Media language:
Cultural context- 1960s audience could be assumed to be familiar with the
conventions of a ‘monster movie’ poster including composition, fonts and
representation
Codes and conventions- connotations created through the ‘wooden’ styling
font and the blood dripping on the “V”, the use of a painted main image is
very typical and the fact it is in colour (“In Eastman Color”) connotes that
this is modern telling of an old story, the dull palette reinforces the super
natural elements of the story and contrasts with the bright red linking to
bats, vampires and blood, conventionally the stars are listed with the more
highly paid actors and in order of fame
Roland Barthes: semiotics- suspense created through the enigmas
surrounding the connoted relationship between the male and female
vampires, further highlighted by the word “kiss” in the title, and the fate of
their two victims (Hermeneutic code), semiotics can be applied to the
images of the bats and other conventional vampire imagery, symbolic codes
of horror and darkness are more widely reinforced through the signers such
as the moon and the male victim’s ‘submissive sacrifice’ gesture code
Levi Strauss: structuralism- opposing representations of the vampires and
their victims, and the romantic connotations of “kiss” opposed in the film’s
stereotypical “vampire” monster
Kiss of a Vampire//poster
Representation:
Political and social contexts- 1960s often seen as the start if the women’s
sexual liberation, aided by events such as the introduction of the
contraceptive pill in 1960, more women than ever were entering paid work
and campaigns for equal rights were taking place, ‘older’ stereotypes of
women as passive victims of men and more modern ‘male fears’ of women
challenging male dominance could both be seen to be encoded in this film
poster
How representations are constructed- both women wear light and pale
dresses using dress codes to reinforce their femininity, the gesture code of
the woman on the left is that of a stereotypical passive victim of the
‘monster’, his power highlighted by the fact that he’s holding her y just one
arm, the second women’s gesture codes are more aggressive and the
submissive code of her male ‘victim’ represents her in a non-stereotypical
way, the vampire himself seems uncharacteristically fearful in his gesture
codes with his arm thrown across his body as if in defensive gesture
Stuart Hall: representation- images of a castle, bats, etc give meaning to the
‘world’ of the poster, the audience is actively encouraged to decode the
generic iconography
Gauntlett: identity- perhaps the female vampire acts as a role model against
male oppression
Van Zoonen: feminism- by assuming ‘co-antagonist’ role, the female
vampire is perhaps contributing to social change by representing women in
non-traditional roles though the passive female victim does reinforce these
Product context: Media language:
The charity Water Aid was established in 1981 as a response to the United Cultural context- following 1984’s ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’ single for
Nations campaign for clean water, sanitation and water hygiene education Band Aid, 1985’s Life Aid was the first global charity event aiming to raise
The charity now works with organisations in 37 African, Asian and Central funds for the ongoing famine in Ethiopia, the contemporary audience for
American countries plus the Pacific region The Comic Relief telethon can be assumed to be familiar with the codes and
Since 1991 its patron has been Prince Charles conventions of charitable adverts
Created by Atomic London in October 2-16, this advert stars 16-year-old Genre- reinforces charity conventions by including key information about
Claudia and aims to show how communities benefit from clean water by the concern however the fact it lacks a non-diegetic voiceover, melancholic
depicting everyday chores such as farming and laundry audio codes and black and white visuals could all be seen as unconventional
Codes and conventions- visual and audio codes work together to construct
the narrative of “sunshine” (Africa) “on a rainy day” (Britain) with the
associated problems of drought
Roland Barthes: semiotics- enigmatic slow motion shot of Claudia’s feet
(Hermeneutic), drought-ridden African countries shown visually and
through audio codes (symbolic)
Levi Strauss: structuralism- binary opposites of Britain and Africa and the
start of the advert vs the end
Representation: Audience:
Social context- intertext Water Aid’s ‘No Choice’ TV advert (2013) fulfils Social/cultural context- viewed many times on YouTube, suggests target
expectations of charity genre, launching the Rain for Good campaign, Water audience are literate with technology, donations are also made by text
Aid said they had deliberately broken from conventions due to the adding to this, also the ShareSunshine, the song=age 30s-40s nostalgia
desensitisation of the typical charity adverts to the public How industries target audiences- demographic constructed through the use
How representations are constructed- dress codes are stereotypical, the of a young woman they might personally identity with (uses and
long dusty road emphasises her independence and how she has had to grow gratifications), parents may feel sympathetic to the children, Water Aid acts
up too quick, handheld camera shots present her as a ‘character’ and as an opinion leader as we believe the statistic is reliable (“650 million…”),
protagonist for the audience to connect to the unconventionally spirit of the advert gives it a USP for more donations
Stuart Hall: representation- images of dusty Africa adds to the world of the Stuart Hall: reception- handheld camera shots connote that the audience is
advert following her, and her story and that Water Aid has constructed this
Gauntlett: identity- Claudia acts as a role model for the type of lifestyle the narrative for us, preferred reading is that she is a real person due to being
audience can create for others like her named and we should invest in her
Van Zoonen: feminist- Claudia is contributing to social change through her Gerbner: cultivation- audiences may have become immune to typical
act of being the ‘provider’ and breaking stereotypes charity adverts after experiencing them with repeated exposure
Gilroy: post-colonialism- presents Africa as below England by asking for
help reinforcing colonial power

Water Aid//advert
Product context:
‘Formation’ was the lead single for the album ‘Lemonade’ which was
released the day before Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl final in
February 2016
The music video with directed by Melina Matsoukas and was released with
the song
The music video won numerous awards including a Clio Award for
Innovation and Creative Excellence in a Music Video at the 2016 awards
and has been nominated in the music video category at the 59th Grammy
Awards
The video is set against the backdrop of the flooding in New Orleans
following Hurricane Katrina and the associated racial tension in America,
and also draws historical parallels with references to racism and slavery
Representation:
Industry contexts- the video was released for a profit, combined with the
Super Bowl performance there was an increased global circulation and
therefore financial gain, was the video to promote the political agenda or for
profit?
How social groups are presented- Beyoncé frequently makes direct address
to the audience by eye contact and her strong powerful stances especially on
top of the police car, constructs her persona
Stereotypes can be used positively and negatively- uses stereotypes e.g.
sexualised images of black women or be seen as strong or objectified,
Beyoncé is represented in different ways suggesting her identity is more
complex
How presentations embody beliefs- does reinforce some stereotypes and
women are sexualised in the video, could again be seen as powerful
Stuart Hall: representation- places black women in control challenging
traditional inequalities, placing other races in the position of ‘otherness’
Formation//music video
Media language:
How meanings are communicated- requires a high level sense of media
literacy to understand the intertextual references such as the footage taken
from a documentary about ‘bounce’ called That B.E.A.T and references to
news footage of police brutality, the use of Antebellum dresses seems to
reference the slavery and heavily contrasts with the stereotypical pop
signifiers such as the tight fitted clothing, similar Beyoncé’s dance
movements shift from aggressive (middle fingers) to more culturally
recognisable dance moves, this all questions the meaning/readings of the
video- Exploring issues of racism in America? Personal exploration of
Beyoncé’s life? Discussing gender and equality?
Roland Barthes: semiotics- use of antebellum era dresses that Beyoncé and
a group of other black women pose in (the white dresses) relating to slavery
Audience:
How audiences are targeted and attracted- video is a sales and promotion
tool planned to reach the large audience, has multiple purposes- spread the
social message and promote Beyoncé’s career, Beyoncé as a performer has
worked within many genres arguably can all be combined into ‘bounce’
which allows producers to target a range of audiences who may be familiar
with multiple genres
How audiences may interpret the media- depends on age, gender, ethnicity,
etc
Stuart Hall: reception- multiplicity of representation makes it hard to
define a single preferred reading however there are some clear messages
about empowerment for genders and ethnicity and criticism of the
establishment, these clear messages may have contrasting interpretations
How audiences are positioned by advertisements and music videos- the
flooding of Hurricane Katrina and the presentation of racial tensions invites
the audience to consider the matters
Product context:
Vance Joy is an Australian singer-songwriter signed to Atlantic records
His music can be categorised into the indie folk-pop genre
Riptide was Vane Joy’s first single to be released in the USA, following his
debut EP “God Loves You When You’re Dancing”
It became a platinum selling single
The video was directed by Dimitri Basil and Laura Gorun and has had over
300,000 million views on YouTube
Representation:
Social and cultural contexts- Dail’s ‘Un Chien Andalou’ (1929) offers similar
disturbing, violent images and sexual desire, the unconscious could also be
linked to this and the dream like logic of the video
How representations convey beliefs- women are repeatedly presented as
objects that are to be watched, women are seen disembodied, undressing,
running and dragged away, these images could be seen as sexualised and
offered to audiences for their pleasure (scopophilia) or presented in a way
to challenge the sexualisation of women in the media, the continual distress
of the woman singing is also important, at first she fit societal norms but
becomes more dishevelled offering many readings about women in the
media
Gauntlett: identity- his concept of pick and mix fits well with the video and
the audience’s invite to construct their own meanings with the stimuli
bell hooks: feminism- arguably presents patriarchal oppression
Riptide//music video
Media language:
Economic contexts- seemingly low budget, was it an artistic choice or
economic one? Later his videos such as ‘Georgia’ had a much larger budget,
funding could be related to the start of the new band, important to consider
how videos are adverts for the band and what it says about them, are
mainstream audiences impressed by quality or uniqueness?
Meaning and intertextuality- montage editing is used in an overt way
through the wide range of contrasting shots, the editing of seemingly
disparate images invites audience’s interpretations, could link to
Eisenstein’s concept of the “intellectual montage” where news ideas emerge
from the collision of images, many clips have clear links to the lyrics
themselves possibly hiding the underlying messages, for the most part the
video rejects a clearly defined narrative offering links to surrealist cinema
Codes and conventions- lyrics interpreted on the screen is typical, the overt
and deliberate way the lyrics are interpreted is subverting conventions
Intertextuality- links to the horror and thriller genre and seemingly the
hipster directing style of Wes Anderson
Genre conventions- unusual as a music video and as a text within the indie
folk genre in terms of style, ‘Georgia’ follows many more conventions, could
have been done to promote the new band and other a sense of uniqueness
Roland Barthes: semiotics- “turning green” represented with money,
meanings can be self-evident, this simple image can offer many other
questions e.g. have his friends ‘sold him out’?
Steve Neale: genre- offers variation to the conventions repeated in the
media, questions the economic reason behind this
Industry:
Product context- biopic film produced by Legendary Pictures, distributed
by Universal Pictures and directed by F. Gary Gray was a huge commercial
and critical success, became the highest grossing music biopic of all time,
and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
Historical context- portrays events mostly set in the mid-1980s California
USA may have been impacted by the racial tension and LA riots in 1992
Cultural context- NWA were significant in terms of social change as
advocates for free speech and as successful black men
Economic and political contexts- two members of the original band NWA
co-produced the film
Ownership and control- produced by Legendary pictures who entered into
partnership with Universal pictures in 2014, therefore produced and
distributed by a major, vertically integrated film studio that is a part of a
media conglomerate, the fact that two members of NWA produced the film
is also significant
Production, distribution and circulation- first trailer released on 8th
February 2015, second global trailer released in 1st April 2015 before the
screening of Universal’s ‘Furious 7’, viral marketing was used and on the 7th
August 2015 Beats by Dre launched their own app ‘Straight Outta
Somewhere’, the film itself was a major success making over $200 million
with a $50 million budget
Economic factors- pre-sold Hip Hop fan base of NWA, success of other
biopic films and the soundtrack released in conjunction with the film
Hesmondhalgh: cultural industries- media conglomerate- film was released
alongside music albums, accessing multiple platforms and therefore
expanding the audience, through the use of stars and genre (biopic films)
the film had an established audience reducing risk and may have led to a
larger budget, the film has a low risk for the producers who are already
successful in their own right
Audience:
Target audience- fans of NWA, fans of rap/gangster rap, fans of biopic
films, fans of the film studios/producers, rap and the sub-genre of gangster
rap have been specific and well identified fan bases, fans of the band may
be attracted to trailer scenes of the band forming or the music being
discussed and recorded but wider audiences may be more interested in
scenes of social tension, cultural change and personal drama
Examples of marketing- the trailer: familiar conventions used including
rating card, use of music and links to social media as well as absence of
conventions including no traditional trailer voiceover and no specific
release date, identification with protagonists in the trailer- audiences
encouraged to align with hip hop artists as underdogs/disenfranchised
minority, star appeal: names of actors or directors are absent from the
trailer and instead replaced with the real names of some of the members of
NWA, film logo: explicit design reference to music parental advisory notice
Regulatory framework- BBFC rated the release with a 15 although the
Director’s Cut was an 18, MPAA rates films in America and gave an R
(restricted, not for under 17 without a parent)

Straight Outta Compton//film

Industry:
Product context- independent social realist film directed by Ken Loach, UK/French production with funding from the BFI and BBC films, become Ken’s
largest grossing film taking over $8 million, was exhibited at many film festivals and won the Palme d’Or at Cannes as well as being nominated for several
BAFTAs
Social and political contexts- addresses issues such as poverty, the welfare system and the Work Capability Assessment, conveys a clear left-wing message
and criticises specific government policies, much of Ken’s work addresses similar issues and he is known as a social campaigner
Economic factors- funding from the BFI and BBC
Production, distribution and circulation- low budget and was filmed largely on location featuring lesser known actors, used social media to advertise with
the hashtag #idanielblake, hashtag for younger audience and trailer for older audiences, film was exhibited at various film festivals and received a
theatrical release in Britain and various other countries and was later released for digital download and DVD
Individual producers- some may argue that the film is mainstream due to Loach’s success and being well-known, this is important as the film challenges
government policies, there may also be a presold audience for Loach
How media organisations maintain varieties of audiences nationally and globally- marketing materials establish the status of the film, especially with
reviews and the comment of the award, the genre and Ken Loach are important in maintaining an audience, arguably his preferred genre is one that does
not change overtime, the advertising also targets different audiences through the hashtag for younger audiences and the trailer and poster campaign for
older ones
Curran and Seaton: power without responsibility- the concept of the film is outside of typical ideas created for profit and power and therefore goes
against the theory, the film was created for social change, not profit
Could also pull in Stuart Hall- political views in film, and Gerbner- the more people watch Loach’s work the more they agree with his view

I, Daniel Blake//film
Media language:
Hybridity and intertextuality- Hawkins family/ Stephen Hawking, remake
of ‘Real Humans’, ‘Blade Runner’ synths become sentient, Niska is
reminiscent of Pris (the basic pleasure model), ‘The Stepford Wives’
domestic and beautiful house wife synths
There are also multiple story arcs- Hawkins family, synths on the run,
George and Odi, etc
Key idea- multiple genres together, sci-fi, familial conflict, etc
Neale: genre- repetition of the genre broken through the inclusion of other
genres and atypical elements (robots not looking like robots)
Baudrillard: postmodernism- elements of bricolage from other texts,
narrative is paradoxical with flashbacks, post-modern themes (man vs
technology), synths see themselves as simulacra, hyperreality
Todorov: narratology- equilibrium: family at home, disruption: Anita, no
resolution or equilibrium due to long form TV drama/episodic
Levi Strauss: structuralism- man vs nature, Anita vs Laura, conscious vs
unconscious
Industries:
Channel4- highest-rated drama since 1992, 2 series 8 episodes each
Kudos- commissioned by C4 and aMC, UK based production company
Endemol shine- part of a global conglomerate, Kudos is a part of it
aMC- American media company, broadcasted show in America
Marketing- shop in Regent street, eBay, social media, vans sent to pick up
malfunctioning synths for season 2, the website where you can order a synth
Baudrillard: postmodernism- ‘hyperreal’ division broken with advertising
making the world seem real, evoking disappointment in the audience
Hesmondhalgh: cultural industries- stars (Colin Morgan plays Leo, William
Hurt plays George), Channel4 and aMC, multiple genres, all increases the
chance of the show selling increasing profit and maximising audience
Humans//television
Representation:
Anita- during the disruption stage Anita is presented as a domestic object
through the opening of her packaging, “I hope she’s pretty” and being
sexualised by the son, construction of femininity (Butler)
Laura- hard working, breaks stereotypes, dark coloured clothes- less
appealing than Anita
Joe-struggling, boyish, immature
Niska- sexualised, red/pink colour palette (Barthes: semiotics), saves herself
(breaks stereotypes)
Leo- outcast, dark colours, hero?
bell hooks: synths are other ethnicities, but then they are supposed to be
seen as perfect? Can support and go against
Van Zoonen- socialist feminism: Laura is replaced with a synth, radical
feminism: Niska is being used, liberal feminism: ‘superwoman’ Laura is
struggling
Audience:
Target audience- fans of the genre, fans of general TV (primary audience),
fans of actors/actresses, cross-gender (not gender specific)
Social identity/uses and gratifications- identity with characters
Escapism/uses and gratifications- relaxation, mirrors our own reality
making it easier to escape to
Enigma codes and narrative devices- suspense and unanswered questions
constricted in first episode
Two step flow- opinions on social media/ quotes from other companies, etc
Jenkins: fandom- fanfiction (textual poaching), fan pages, wiki pages
Stuart Hall: reception- preferred: synths as a negative idea, negotiated:
should have synths but conscious ones do deserve human rights,
oppositional: should develop AI and conscious synths do not deserve human
rights
Media language:
Poetic realism- the visual style is spare and sharp as well as beautifully
constructed with lyrical aesthetics, sense of impending doom with the dam
and horde, fatalistic through Victor’s vision of the future (Cassandra figure),
theme of man’s mortality
Zombie genre- many conventions are broken, e.g. the zombies look normal
Multiple story arcs- the dam/flood, quest for the truth, those who have
returned and their quest in each episode
Religious connotations- the dam/flood, idea of cleansing, purifying, sins
being washed away, re-birth, Noah’s Ark, baptisms, death vs life
Neale: genre- different through poetic French realism, religious elements,
broken zombie genre where the zombies are more like ghosts
Todorov: narratology- equilibrium: parents in the meeting/everyone in their
homes, disruption: children returning, resolution: Mr Costa sets fire to the
house, commits suicide, not full resolution- the show is episodic
Levi Strauss: structuralism- past vs present, living vs dead, Lena vs Camille
Industry:
Canal+- French premium cable channel, owned by Vivendi SA
Vivendi-French multi-media conglomerate, assets include: music, film/TV
units, video hosting and concert venues
Facts and figures- $14,29 million ($1,79 million per episode), Canal+ has a
reputation of good quality and sets, etc, the show was distributed
internationally with English subtitles, CEM (Creative Europe- offers
different funding schemes) also granted the show money, filmed in Haute-
Savoie in French promoting the location and creating potential tourist
attractions
Livingstone and Lunt: regulation- different norms in different cultures,
what the show was rated at may change due to the show of sex, etc
Hesmondhalgh: cultural industries- horizontal integration= Canal+
purchased TPS as they were a competitor to them, re-establishing their role
in the market, vertical integration= Canal+ is a vertically integrated
company
The Returned//television
Representation:
Camille- mysterious, quiet, sections include music, often framed behind
people emphasising her unexpected return, often seen wearing blue linking
to the water and her being ‘dead’, lighting is dark
Simon- enigma codes of tension, tracking shots of walking/rushed,
skin=pale/grey
Claire- motif of God, female nurturer, framing- before Camille comes back=
centre, after= side
Madame Costa- mysterious, old fashioned clothing, not present
Julie- nurturing but doesn’t like children, against stereotypes
bell hooks: feminism- only white actors/actresses
Van Zoonen: feminism- some characters break gender stereotypes e.g.
Camille is efficient as well as Simon, but still female characters sexualised
Stuart Hall: representation- the Returned seen as other, could symbolise the
undead as migrants coming out the water and not being fully
welcomed/lights flickering
Audience:
How audiences are targeted- supernatural/thriller genre, adult themes so
arguably older audience members, use of well-known actors/actresses,
marketing is done through interview, websites, etc, not explicitly for any
gender, could argue boys= violence, murder, sexualised girls
Identification/uses and gratifications- identity with mother’s loss, etc
Diversion/uses and gratifications- supernatural acts as escapism
Enigmas- Victor, the dam, why the dead have returned
Testimonials- on DVD cover, Times Magazine- well established and
respected companies (two step flow model)
Social interaction/uses and gratifications (water cooler)- social media,
enigmas generate conversation
Cultural capital- biblical references may be able to infer more meaning
Stuart Hall: reception theory- preferred: dead should stay dead, negotiated:
religious connotations, may cause religious people to agree with the re-birth
of the ‘dead’, oppositional: rebirth as impossible, don’t enjoy the show
Media language:
Front cover- pastel colours, stereotypical 1950s housewife for central image,
“lingerie goes lively”, “are you an a-level beauty?”
Breeze (advert)- plosive alliteration “bath with breeze”, repetition of
“darling”, unrealistic expectation of women, sexualised
Crème Puff (advert)- storyboard design, woman is objectified, lexical field of
delicate words “soft”, “puff”, “velvety”, “beauty at a moment’s notice…”
‘Are you an A-Level beauty?’- set up like a game, suggests the only
education women will succeed in is in makeup, rhetorical question
Army Corps- listing “careers, travel, independence, friendship”, anecdotes,
“Are you wondering how to be more than just a cog in a machine?”
Roland Barthes: semiotics- pastel front cover, delicate font, etc
Industries:
Published by IPC (International Publishing Company)
Mainstream
Magazine reflects social norms of the time (white woman, middle class)
Revenue from adverts- Breeze, Crème Puff
IPC has many titles- minimised risk, maximised profit
Set edition- August 1964
Curran and Seaton: power over responsibility- The IPC (International
Publishing Cooperation) is profit driven and produces very stereotypical
content, reducing the creativity in the industry
Hesmondhalgh: cultural industries- Conglomerate and mainstream
company with many titles, this minimises risk and maximises profit, the use
of a stereotypical ‘ideal’ housewife sells more copies and is safe and
conforming to social norms. Profit is also made through advertising (Breeze
and Crème Puff)
Woman//magazine
Representation:
Stuart Hall: representation- shows a typical 1950s housewife stereotype
Gauntlett: identity- historical product which does convey mostly (army
corps) singular straightforward messages about the ideal type of female
identity, supporting the point that the past offered singular messages
Van Zoonen: feminism- not particularly sexualised but can be seen as
objects (Crème Puff)
bell hooks: feminism- only white women reflecting the ideal social norms of
the time and the mainstream nature of the magazine
Butler: gender- reinforces a typical female stereotype, suggesting that
gender stereotypes have been conditioned into us for years and are a
completely accepted part of society
Audience:
Target demographic- 20-40, female, white, middle class, mainstreamers,
housewives/mothers
Uses and gratifications- readers take what they need (tips, advice, etc),
escapism and relaxation
Stuart Hall: reception-Preferred reading: historical reader that finds the
articles helpful, negotiated reading: historical reader that doesn’t find all
articles applicable, e.g. if they are not a mother, during the 1960s the second
wave of feminism occurred which may have led to some contrasting views,
oppositional reading: modern reader may disagree with the presentation of
women
Gerbner: cultivation- continuous viewing of this magazine may reinforce
gender norms about women and how they belong in the house as house
wives, some elements of how women are represented are still evident now
showing they have become the norm and we are desensitised to it
Media language:
Front cover- colours and texture link to views that they are trying to
promote, minimalistic reflecting anti-materialistic views, non-white person
in central image, aggressive and violent imagery
Louboutin spoof advert- “red soles are always in season”, child wearing
bottles for shoes, minimalistic
Refugee/model- juxtaposition of top and bottom image, could be seen as
comical (Stuart Hall: reception), black and white vs colour, barbed wire
Homeless women/modelling industry- juxtaposition conveys message,
minimalistic, disintegrating effect, quote about climate change
Save the planet kill yourself- direct mode of address, white smoke effect
Roland Barthes: semiotics- used to construct ideas surrounding their main
viewpoints e.g. the dirt on the front cover immediately conveys ideas of
nature, linking to their ideas of climate change and saving the planet
Levi Strauss: structuralism- Some of the key points in the magazine are only
clear when placed in opposition with another article, for example the
woman sat on the street with the model, only with the homeless woman do
we see ‘Adbusters’ criticising the modelling industry, similarly done with
the refugee page
Industry:
£10.99 an issue, published six times a year
Independent publisher
Not mainstream
Not advertised, audience need to actively look to buy it
No adverts due to anti-capitalist messages
Curran and Seaton: power without responsibility- against: non-profit and
not for power, unique content offering creativity within the industry
For: not very known suggesting that conglomerates do run the industry
Hesmondhalgh: cultural industries- independent publisher, doesn’t
advertise, not mainstream content, goes against theory but this is due to the
purpose of the magazine which is to spread the messages, not for profit
Adbusters//magazines
Representation:
No sexualised women
Focuses more on concepts such as anti-capitalism instead of selling the
magazine, sexualised figures are often used to sell magazines so therefore
are not relevant with the magazine
Represents most of society as to blame/guilty
Gilroy: post-colonialism- main figure on front cover is not white, reducing
colonial power, the Louboutin advert could arguably reinforce colonial
power and it is suggesting that our Western ways are harming those in
LEDCs
Levi Strauss: structuralism- conflict created between ‘Adbusters’ and the
rest of society
Gauntlett: identity- may see the concepts as a form of role model for how we
should act, allowing us to construct our identity around the messages
proposed
Audience:
Not particularly targeted towards anyone- no gender or class
Arguably, not for a younger audience due to the concepts that can be hard to
grasp and are irrelevant for young children
Could be seen as targeted towards mainstreams/those who partake in
materialism as they are the ones that need the message the most
Stuart Hall: reception- ‘Adbusters’ present a potentially controversial
message and most of their content will have contrasting viewpoints, some
may accept the message they are conveying about climate change etc, whilst
some may disagree or only want to accept some elements
Gerbner: cultivation- the more people read the magazine the more
embedded the ideas about saving the planet become in their minds, their
online content helps with this, constantly reiterating their points to
convince their consumers and any one that falls upon their content
Media language:
Vlogs- single camera edit, best friend characterisation, unscripted narrative
‘Anxiety-The Update’- amateur aesthetic (“is that the saying?”, emotive
language (“missing out”), confessional narrative (“and it bothered me”)
Codes and conventions of the homepage- logo, main navigation,
carousel/slider, footer, search box, social media icons, banner ads
Roland Barthes: semiotics- convey meanings through codes e.g. pastel
colours, weakness: audience tend to focus on the static parts of the blog
which they are used to, social semiotics: addresses perceived limitations of
mainstream semiotics by acknowledging the context they take place in
Levi Strauss: structuralism- used to create a conflict and narrative e.g.
British vs American
Baudrillard: postmodernism- the media has become so saturated it is
impossible for audiences to experience the natural world, online has
become a simulacrum or hyperreality where everything appears perfect,
Zoella’s authentic aesthetic is still not entirely truthful
Industries:
Combined subscriber count of over 16 million
She has a network of friends she collaborates with and these are her most
successful videos
Her work is user-generated content (created by an individual, not company)
Zoe’s income- adverts, merchandise, books, sponsored videos and blogs,
affiliate links, most of her sponsored content is covert
Livingstone and Lunt- Zoe follows all community guidelines making her a
family friendly channel which keeps sponsorships and advertisers, the CAP
(Committee of Advertising Practice) regulate YouTube
Hesmondhalgh- uses horizontal integration through her multi-channel
network, also uses vertical integration through her manager Dom Smales
who works at the company Gleam
Zoella//online media
Representation:
Stuart Hall: representation- Zoe is her own gate-keeper and represents
herself in a way she wants to be represented, she reinforces gender norms
with her pastel colours and female typical content
Gauntlett: identity- audience’s see Zoe’s perfect lifestyle and may want to
shape their lives around hers, especially if they have placed her in a role
model position, Zoe also conveys typical female stereotypes with her
content surrounding makeup, fashion, etc, she reflects a typical female
magazine
Butler: gender- Zoe’s blog reinforces gender norms through her female
typical content including makeup, fashion and soft pastel colours on her
blog, her personality of being friendly, bubbly and cheerful is also female
typical
Gilroy: post-colonial- Zoe’s content is mostly white people, unlike
traditional media she cannot cast other ethnicities however, her content
still reflects the idea of colonial power even if it is not intentional
Audience:
Target audience- consists of 13-24-year olds, BC1C2 (youthful, energetic,
associated with advertising and getting money off)
Interaction- comments section, polls, social media
Collab videos- widen audience by introducing different audiences to her
content
Jenkins: fandom- Zoe has fan art, fan fiction etc written for her frequently,
showing examples of textual poaching and allowing her audience to take
her content into their own hands, Zoe is also imitated creating a subculture
inspired by her and her content
Shirky: end of audience- through fan art and fanfiction, it is clear that the
audience has used their tools to respond with Zoe’s content, Zoe’s audience
was also seen ‘speaking back’ when The Sun ran a salacious article about a
relatively innocent image that Zoe posted on snapchat, many defended the
photo and began the hashtag westandwithzoe
Media language:
Conventions- high image to text ratio, white space, teaser headlines, list
article, emotive language, foreground advertising, wraparound advertising,
sponsored content/advertorials
Front cover (“The Masculinity Issue”)- dark background and pink title, bold
title, central image breaks conventions with a man wearing makeup and nail
polish, layout reflects mainstream magazines
Roland Barthes: semiotics- the use of the rainbow colours on the homepage
reinforces the LGBTQ+ content of the magazine as it has become a symbol
for the community, the use of colour has connotations of inclusivity and
welcoming for those in the community
Levi Strauss: structuralism- the focus on the LGBTQ+ community presents
the idea of conflict, the community being good and all those against it bad,
forming the opposition of good vs bad, the fight ‘Attitude’ is presenting
forms a conflict and opposition
Industry:
Does not produce mainstream content- risk
This is reinforced through the representation of a minority group
Owned by Stream Publishing Limited
Sold worldwide as a physical magazine and is online
Many of the covers have included celebrities e.g. Prince William, Boy
George, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Tom Daley
Former conservative party leader David Cameron has also appeared on the
cover
The magazine is often themed
Curran and Seaton- due to representation of a minority group it could be
argued that the main purpose is not profit but normalising inclusion of the
group within society, however the magazine does advertise suggesting that
they are aiming for a profit
Hesmondhalgh- there is a risk due to the presentation of the community
however this is a vital part of the magazine and cannot be avoided
Attitude//online media
Representation:
Represents a whole different group of people that the mainstream media
usually avoid
Arguably, the way the community is presented constructs that stereotype as
the way to look if you are a part of the community, this is reinforced by the
lack of representation is mainstream media
Gauntlett: identity- ‘Attitude’ does not present straight forward ideas about
identity and breaks gender norms through the presentation of men in
makeup and other feminised pieces, this agrees with the theory that the
media today offers a more diverse range of stars
Butler: gender- gender norms are broken through ‘Attitude’ which often
presents men as feminised or with makeup, in heels, etc, this reiterates the
idea that gender is constructed by society and can be broken, ‘Attitude’ is
breaking the repetition of gender norms
Gilroy: post-colonial- ‘Attitude’ is seen presenting people of colour and their
struggles or victories with their sexuality, this is reducing colonial power as
it is presenting a different minority, the idea of ethnicity seems less relevant
as something else has been placed as the ‘other’
Audience:
Target audience- male (factual writing style, short paragraph, statistics), 26-
55 (Facebook + Twitter), ABC1 (partnerships + sponsorships, premium
products, language is form and complex), reformer/aspirer (comments on
social issues, constructs a very aspirational feel, premium brands)
Audience can interact through social media or the comments section on the
articles
There is little interaction compared to say ‘Zoella’, reflecting that this is a
company not an individual
Gerbner: cultivation- the repeated exposure of the views shown in ‘Attitude’
normalises the LGBTQ+ community in mainstream media, the inclusion of
mainstream celebrities helps this and begins the integration of the
community within traditional media
Industry:
Reithian Principles- principles that the BBC aims to strive for developed by
Baron Reith, they include an equal consideration of all viewpoints, probity,
universality and a commitment to public service, “Inform, educate,
entertain”
BBC- no paid advertising, all revenue comes from TV tax, allows some
more creativity with products as they do not need to worry about
advertisers refusing to be associated with a text, but do need to make sure
their content is representing everyone
Production & distribution- monthly at 11pm, more likely listeners will use
digital platforms than listen live, Lauren as a presenter sets a tone and
personality for the show, also has a large twitter following and a fan base of
young aspirational women
Regulation- Ofcom, need to ensure a wide range of services and wide
appeal is available (many radio channels), maintain plurality in
broadcasting (presenter must make sure to never street that one opinion is
right or wrong), protect audiences from harmful material and infringement
of privacy (shown at 11 due to topics)
Curran and Seaton: power without responsibility- the BBC is a major
deliverer of content, they are also a public service broadcaster offering
more creative freedom as they are free from advertising pressure, allowing
them to create niche content for example LNWH
Livingstone and Lunt: regulation- BBC is self-regulatory as a media
organisation it is responsible for not breaching codes, LNWH discusses
more controversial topics but is shown at a later time, however the product
is distributed through iPlayer which is easily accessible to young children
and hard to regulate
Hesmondhalgh: cultural industries- the presenter of LNWH is Lauren
Laverne, an established personality, the show also often includes guests
and other celebrities, the product is shaped via these personalities
Late Night Women’s Hour//radio
Audience:
The presenter- Lauren Laverne, similar age to target audience, will be
known to the target audience as a TV presenter and one of the main
anchors of BBC Radio6 music, atypical when compared to the other
Radio4 presenters
Ways audience can interact- through Lauren’s social media, the women’s
hour twitter
How it can be listened to- the show is not only available live but also
available online allowing audiences to listen to the content in their own
time, maximising the size of the audience
Target audience- women, around 35 years old, interests in topics such as
‘hygge’, Ikea, feminism, etc
Stuart Hall: reception- the show does discuss some controversial topics
which could lead to people disagreeing with what is being discussed, due to
the real elements of the show including real people this may result in
physical retaliation to the celebrities and guests on the show via social
media
Clay Shirky: end of audience- radio, which was originally only on the radio,
is now accessible across multiple platforms offering new ways for
consumers to consume the product, expanding audiences, audience
members can now also not be passive and can respond via social media
and other platforms
Industries:
Product context- part of the very successful franchise, developed by Ubisoft and
released on October 30th 2012 along with ‘Assassin’s Creed III’, originally
exclusive to the PS Vita but was later released for other games, the game offers
familiar pleasures to existing fans along with new elements to target a wide
audience (female protagonist), classified an 18
Historical contexts- video games are a relatively new media form, there has been
exponential growth as well as a rapid increase in the quality of technology
Economic and political contexts- culturally and financially significant across three
major territories (Japan, Europe and USA), the release of new games or consoles
can be major economic events
Distribution and circulation- released on Song hand held device and developed by
Ubisoft and released alongside ‘Assassin’s Creed III’ on the PlayStation 3, this
simultaneous release is an attempt at having the maximum impact on three major
markets, in terms of production the game was a multinational development which
is typical of game production in larger studios such as Ubisoft
Recent technological change and media production, distribution and circulation-
PS Vita was attempting to tap into the success of mobile gaming and was designed
with many features associated with smart phones, the well-known franchise could
be seen trying to bring it to the mobile gaming arena, versions of the game could
be purchased over the internet
Regulatory framework- UK until 2012 games were regulated by the BBFC, now
regulated by the Video Standards Council (VSC) using the PEGI system
Digitally convergent media platforms- WiFi function allows users to download
additional content such as ‘skins’ and outfits, also allows users the chance to
engage in multiplayer versions of the game
Livingstone and Lunt: regulation- video game regulation is hard to monitor as
there is no way to ethically regulate people in their own homes, video games are
age-rated by PEGI however this cannot be enforced strongly, especially with the
digital purchasing of games
Hesmondhalgh: cultural industries- the re-release of the game across different
game consoles both minimised risk and maximised potential audiences who could
not access the game previously
Assassin’s Creed III:
Liberation//video games
Audience:
Social and cultural contexts- representation of female characters,
under-representation of women in video game development and an
assumed minority of female video games players, game has a female
protagonist
How audiences interact- hand held device seems to be aimed at a
more casual or mobile gamer, game features a female protagonist
which is unusual in the franchise and may be significant in appealing
to a different demographic, the game might also offer a platform for
female gamer identification
Interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of
consumption and response- game is linked to a more traditional
console version and which was simultaneously released with the
game, might be an attempt to draw gamers from different platforms
to purchase additional hardware and adopt new gaming beliefs, the
two versions of the game are also linked in terms of downloadable
content and special features, gamers might feel inclined to buy
everything to have the most satisfying experience
Bandura: media effects- video games have often been blamed for
aggressive behaviour, for example, the Jamie Bulger case, some of
this criticism stems from the problem of regulating the industry and
ensuring that gamers are only playing games suitable for their age,
Assassin’s Creed can be applied as it is a video games containing a
first-person narrative and violence,
Jenkins: fandom- video games offer social, collaborative experiences
as part of game play and fan communities, interaction in video games
allows fans to construct their identities through the shared online
gaming experience and the role-playing environment
Shirky: end of audience- AC has a well-developed vocal fan base of
care gamers that have been instrumental in the development of the
franchise through shaping their views, the devoted players ‘speak
back’ to the producers and help shape the product