Representation blog tasks

 Representation: blog tasks

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

1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies?

Understanding how representations are created, and how they create meaning, is central to an understanding of the media, as everything that appears in the media is in fact a representation.

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

A news editor will decide on the way the story will be presented with her photo, and the use of captions to pin down, or anchor, the meaning of the image. Therefore, it is not controlled by her and can showcase the true reality within her life to represent her as a normal person, opposing would the meaning would be if it wasn't a paparazzi shot and she had presented herself for it already.

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

Media representations are created through key different concepts of media language in products. These conventions form different narrative ideas and a representation of certain aspects in the product. This is all decided by the producer who has to consider their choice of narrative in line with the audience's wants and needs. Repetition of such values, ideologies and representations then become natural to audiences as part of their narrative experience, encouraging more views for products.

4) How does Stuart Hall's theory of preferred and oppositional readings fit with representation?

Hall argued that audiences do not necessarily accept the ideology of texts passively, but instead draw on their own

cultural and social experiences to create their own interpretations. In his view ‘meanings’ and messages are not fixed

by the creator of the text, but depend on the relationship between the reader/ viewer, and the text. In the wallpaper/

family values example above, you may support the implied ideologies, and therefore you might accept the intended meaning. However, some audiences may only partially accept the meanings being offered by a text; Hall calls this the negotiated position. Other audiences might reject them completely (the oppositional position).

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

With the rise of new media, audience members can now construct and share their own media products, and in websites, video-sharing platforms and social media there are more opportunities for people to represent themselves than ever before. Individuals can now engage in the act of self- representation, often on a daily basis, through the creation of social media

profiles and content.

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

National identity is invariably raised during national sports competitions. During the 2014 World Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to 22 million households in England which represented its own concepts of ‘Englishness’ by symbolic references –

queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen – to heroes, values and behaviours that the paper (and its owners, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corps) defined as appropriate expressions of ‘English identity’.

Watch the clip from Luther that we studied in class (Season 1, Episode 1 - minute 7.40-10.00 - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access the clip). Now answer these final two questions:

7) Write a paragraph analysing the dominant and alternative representations you can find in the clip from Luther.

8) Write a paragraph applying a selection of our representation theories to the clip from Luther. Our summary of each theory may help you here:

Levi-Strauss: representation and ideology

Mulvey: the male gaze

Dyer: stereotyping and power
Medhurst: value judgements
Perkins: some stereotypes can be positive or true

In the clip, Levi-Strauss’ theory of binary oppositions is clearly shown through the contrast between safety and danger, as the “dodgy” urban setting is opposed to authority and control, reinforcing an ideology that crime operates in hidden spaces. Dyer’s theory of stereotyping and power is evident in Luther’s portrayal. While the setting and his guarded, intimidating presence could align with stereotypical representations of masculinity and criminality, his confidence and the respect shown by the male character in the car demonstrate that Luther holds narrative power and authority, preventing him from being reduced to a simple stereotype that concerns traditional values of characteristics, such as race. This links to Perkins’ theory, as traits such as dominance and emotional restraint may reflect commonly used stereotypes that are presented as functional for men.  Medhurst’s theory of value judgements can be applied to the woman who recruits Luther, as she is represented as competent and purposeful, encouraging the audience to view her positively rather than through moral judgement. However, the male gaze theory is not present in the clip.