Senior High School

NOT

Media and Information

Literacy
Quarter 3 - Module 7, Week 7
Media Codes and Conventions
Introduction to Media and Information Literacy Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 3 - Module 7: Media Codes and Conventions
First Edition, 2020

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 Media and
Information Literacy
Quarter 3 - Module 7, Week 7
Media Codes and Conventions

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed

by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and or/universities. We
encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email their feedbacks,
comments, and recommendations to the Department of Education at action@
deped.gov.ph.

We value your feedbacks and recommendations.

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippine

FAIR USE AND CONTENTS DISCLAIMER: This Self Learning Module (SLM) is
for educational purposes only. Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems,
pictures, photos, brand names, trademarks, etc.) included in these modules are
owned by their respective copyright holders. The publisher and authors do not
represent nor claim ownership over them. Sincerest appreciation to those who
made significant contributions to these modules.
 Table of Contents

What This Module is About ……………………………………………………………… i

How to Learn from this Module …………………………………………………………. ii

Icons of this Module ……………………………………………………………………….iii

Lesson 7: Media Codes and Conventions ……………………………………….... 1

What I Need to Know: ……………………………………………………. 1

What’s In: Word Search .…………………………………………………. 1
What’s New: Unlocking Difficulties ……………………………………… 2
What Is It: Information Literacy? ………………………………………… 3
What’s More: Picture Analysis? …………………………………………. 8
What I Have Learned: Answer Me ……………………………………… 9
What I Can Do: Conduct Interview ………………………………………10
Summary……………………………………………………………………………………11
Assessment: (Post-Test) ………………………………………………………………....12
Key to Answers…………………………………………………………………………….13
References……………………………………………………………………………….…14
What This Module is About
Welcome to the 21st Century Society where the quality of information we
receive largely determines our choices and actions relevant to issues and concerns
affecting us. Driven by technological improvements in telecommunications, we adopt
the proliferation of media and other information providers where vast amounts of
information and knowledge are accessed and shared by everybody (Karklins, J.,
UNESCO).

This Module is a second part for the subject in Media and Information Literacy,
which paves the way towards more meaningful discussions and interactions on the
concept of Media and Information Literacy to Senior High School learners, as viable
foundation for college life.

This module contains varied activities to help you not just only an information
literate individual, but also a creative and critical thinker, responsible user, and
competent producer of media and information.

This module contains varied activities to help you not just only an information
literate individual, but also a creative and critical thinker, responsible user, and
competent producer of media and information.

Following are the lessons contained in this module:

1. The Media Codes
2. Convention

i
How to Learn from this Module
To achieve the preceding objectives, you are to do the following:
• Take your time reading the lessons carefully.
• Follow the directions and/or instructions in the activities and exercises diligently.
• Answer all the given tests and exercises.

Icons of this Module

What I Need to This part contains learning objectives that

Know are set for you to learn as you go along the
module.

What I know This is an assessment as to your level of

knowledge to the subject matter at hand,
meant specifically to gauge prior related
knowledge
What’s In This part connects previous lesson with that
of the current one.

What’s New An introduction of the new lesson through

various activities, before it will be presented
to you

What is It These are discussions of the activities as a

way to deepen your discovery and under-
standing of the concept.

What’s More These are follow-up activities that are in-

tended for you to practice further in order to
master the competencies.

What I Have Activities designed to process what you

Learned have learned from the lesson

What I can do These are tasks that are designed to show-

case your skills and knowledge gained, and
applied into real-life concerns and situations.

ii
 Lesson
Media Codes and Conventions
7
Grade 12, Second Semester, Q3- Week 7

What I Need to Know

In this lesson, you are expected to:

• Identify codes, convention, and message and how they affect the audience,
producers, and other stake holders (MIL11/12MILA-IIIf-7).

What I Know

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer from the given choices.

1. Media is a collective term for all communication medium such as books,

newspapers, radio, television, film and the Internet.
A. True B. False
C. Maybe D. Neither True or False

2. A media and information literate individual knows how to examine and take apart
the media message so that its parts are exposed to him.
A. True B. False
C. Maybe D. Neither True or False

3. It pertains to the codes, conventions, formats, symbols and narrative structures that
indicate the meaning of media messages to an audience.
A. Languages B. Media Types
C. Media Languages D. Media Sources

4. These are systems of signs which when put together create meaning.
A. Languages B. Codes
C. Media Languages D. Conventions

5. It refers to the recipients of information or the consumers of media.

A. Media audience B. Media producers
C. Media Languages D. Media Sources

1
 What’s In

In our previous lesson, we learned the various types of media, namely: Print
Media, Broadcast Media, and the New Media. In addition, we have learned that
popular sources are the libraries, the internet, and indigenous.

What’s New

Activity 1. Identify the following signs and symbols used to convey information
(Example: brand, company, and others). The first one is done for you
as your guide. Write your answer in your activity notebook.

Symbol Meaning/What It Represent

Example Facebook

2
 What Is It

The preceding exercise is designed to prime you to the idea that media codes
and conventions serve as the building blocks of all the media around us.

Media codes generally have an agreed meaning, or connotation, to their

audience. There are three types of media codes, symbolic codes, technical
codes and written codes. Conventions are expected ways in which codes are
organized in a product.

SYMBOLIC CODES

-are social in nature. These codes live

outside the media product themselves, but
would be understood in similar ways in the
‘real life’ of the audience. For instance, if you
see somebody receiving a red rose in a film,
you would assume there is a romantic
relationship between the two characters. If
you give somebody a red rose in real life, you
might be hoping the same. Symbolic codes in
media include setting, mise en
scene, acting and color.

1. Setting

-is the time and place of the

narrative. A setting can be as big
as the outback or space, or as
small as a specific room. Setting
can even be a created
atmosphere or frame of mind.

3
 2. Mise en scene

--is a French term meaning ‘everything

within the frame’. In media terms, it has
become to mean the description of all
the objects within a frame of the media
product and how they have been
arranged.

An analysis of mise en scene includes:

➢ Set Design
➢ Costume
➢ Props
➢ Staging and Composition

3. Acting
Actors portray characters in
media products and contribute to
character development, creating
tension or advancing the narrative.

The actor portrays a character

through:

✓ Facial expression
✓ Body Language
✓ Vocal qualities
✓ Movement
✓ Body contact

4. Color

--has highly cultural and

strong connotations.
The different aspects to
consider are:

✓ Dominant color
✓ Contrasting foils
✓ Color symbolism

4
TECHNICAL CODES

--are codes specific to a media form and do not live outside of them. For instance, our
understanding of different camera shots and their connotations make sense when we
look and films and photographs, but mean nothing to us outside of those forms.
Technical codes in media include Camerawork, Editing, Audio and Lighting.

1. Camerawork

--refers to the process of

operating, positioning, and
moving the camera for specific
effects. Aspects of camerawork
include:

➢ Positioning
➢ Movement
➢ Framing
➢ Exposure
➢ Lens choice

2. Editing

--is the process of choosing, manipulating and arranging images and sound. Editing
is generally done for four different reasons:
➢ Graphic edits
➢ Rhythmic edits
➢ Spatial edits
➢ Temporal edits

5
3. Audio

--is the expressive or naturalistic use

of sound. Audio can be diegetic or
non diegetic. The three aspects of
audio are:

➢ Dialogue
➢ Sound effects
➢ Music

4. Lighting

--is the manipulation of natural or

artificial light to selectively highlight
specific elements of the scene.
Elements of lighting includes:
➢ Quality
➢ Direction
➢ Source
➢ Color

WRITTEN CODES

--are the formal written language used in a media product. Written codes can be used
to advance a narrative, communicate information about a character or issues and
themes in the media product. This
includes:

1. Printed language is a text you can

see within the frame and how it is
presented.

2. Spoken language, which includes

dialogue and song lyrics.

6
CONVENTIONS

--are accepted ways of using media codes. Conventions are closely connected to the
audience expectations of a media product. Different types of conventions include form
conventions, story conventions and genre conventions.

1. Form Conventions

--are the certain ways/ types of

media’s codes to be arranged. For
instance an audience expects to have
a title of the film at the beginning, and
then credits at the end. Newspapers
will have a masthead, the most
important news on the front page and
sports news on the back page. Video
games usually start with a tutorial to
explain the mechanics of how the
game works.

2. Story Conventions
--are common narrative structures and
understandings e common in story
telling media products. Examples of
story conventions include:

➢ Narrative structures
➢ Cause and effect
➢ Character construction
➢ Point of View

3. Genre Conventions
--point to the common use of tropes,
characters, settings or themes in a
particular type of medium. Genre
conventions are closely linked with
audience expectations.

Genre conventions can

be formal or thematic.

7
 What’s More

Activity 2. Below is a postcard of the Boracay Island. Identify the key symbolic
and technical codes found in it. Write your answer in your activity
notebook.

What I Have Learned:

Directions: Fill out the blank below with your answer.

This lesson emphasizes that media codes and conventions are like the building
blocks of all the media around us. ________________ are systems of signs which
when put together create meaning.

There are three types of media codes: symbolic codes, technical codes and
written codes. __________________, on the other hand, are the rules, habits or
generally accepted ways of doing things

8
 What I can Do

Activity 3. Make a POSTCARD for a place or organization of your choice using

any materials available. Identify the key technical and symbolic
codes you would use to convey important information. Your output
will be rated based on the rubric below.

9
Summary

There are types of Media Codes, namely: Symbolic Codes, Technical Codes;
and Written Codes.
.
The Symbolic codes are social in nature which include: Setting, Mise en scene
and Actors.

Technical codes on the other hand, are codes specific to a media form and do
not live outside of them. This includes camera works, editing, audio and lighting.

Written Codes are the formal written language used in a media product.
Written codes can be used to advance a narrative, communicate information about a
character or issues and themes in the media product. This includes: printed and
spoken

Conventions - are expected ways in which codes are organized in a product.

This includes: Form conventions are the certain ways we expect types of media’s
codes to be arranged. Story conventions are common narrative structures and
understandings. Genre conventions point to the common use of tropes, characters,
settings or themes.

10
 Assessment: (Posttest)

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer from the given choices.

1. Media is a collective term for all communication medium such as books,

newspapers, radio, television, film and the Internet.
A. True B. False
C. Maybe D. Neither True or False

2. A media and information literate individual knows how to examine and take apart
the media message so that its parts are exposed to him.
A. True B. False
C. Maybe D. Neither True or False

3. It pertains to the codes, conventions, formats, symbols and narrative structures that
indicate the meaning of media messages to an audience.
A. Languages B. Media Types
C. Media Languages D. Media Sources

4. These are systems of signs which when put together create meaning.
A. Languages B. Codes
C. Media Languages D. Conventions

5. It refers to the recipients of information or the consumers of media.

A. Media audience B. Media producers
C. Media Languages D. Media Sources

11
Key to Answer
References

Websites

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YVB0qnuqIQp8NOcXW1Vzd7gy60vx8vaq/view?usp=sh
aring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD63b6Z-Tr0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9APrV5cYnE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W70YkNjFKY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhijmmePlU8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuxNcpC9a0A&list=PLvqJQQNqUbBSD9TLTO7Ec
EGP1KvRWbGDh&index=3

13
 For inquiries and feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)

DepEd Division of Cagayan de Oro City

Fr. William F. Masterson Ave Upper Balulang Cagayan de Oro
Telefax: ((08822)855-0048
E-mail Address: cagayandeoro.city@deped.gov.ph