Glossary Flashcards
EQUILIBRIUM
In relation to narrative, a state of balance or stability (in
Todorov’s theory the equilibrium is disrupted and ultimately
restored)
ETHNOCENTRIC
A belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group or culture.
For example, a newspaper will be more concerned to cover
stories that are closely related to the reader and their concerns.
Tabloid and local papers only tend to cover international news
stories if they can relate them specifically to their readers
FLEXI NARRATIVE
A more complex narrative structure with layers of interweaving
storylines. This challenges the audience and keeps them
watching
FOUR Cs
This stands for Cross Cultural Consumer Characteristics and
was a way of categorising consumers into groups through their
motivational needs. The main groups were Mainstreamers,
Aspirers, Explorers, Succeeders and Reformers
HEGEMONY
Hegemony is the dominance of one group over
another, often supported by legitimating norms and ideas. For
example, the dominant social position in society is taken by
men and the subordinate one by women
HORIZONTAL
INTEGRATION
Where a media conglomerate is made up of different
companies that produce and sell similar products, often as a
result of mergers. For example a company with interests in film,
TV, magazines newspaper
HYPODERMIC NEEDLE
MODEL
Generally acknowledged to be an out of date media effects
theory which suggests that an audience will have a mass
response to a media text. The idea is that the media product
injects an idea into the mind of an audience who are assumed
to be passive and as a result will all respond in the same way
ICONOGRAPHY
The props, costumes, objects and backgrounds associated with
a particular genre; for example, in a police series you would
expect to see, uniforms, blue flashing lights, scene of crime
tape and police radios
IDEOLOGY
A set of messages, values and beliefs that may be encoded into media products
INTERTEXTUAL
Where one media text makes reference to aspects of another
text within it. For example, referencing a scene from a film in a
television advertisement. Audiences enjoy recognising
intertextual references
INTERTEXTUALITY
Where one media product intertextually references another
LINEAR NARRATIVE
Where the narrative unfolds in chronological order from
beginning to end
MMORPG
Massively multi-player online role-playing game
