Media Language Glossary and Theorists

Question 1

Semiotics

What are semiotics generally?

Answer 1

The study of signs- how signs communicate meaning in our culture

both theory and analysis

Question 2

Semiotics

What is a sign?

Answer 2

a word/ image used to convey an idea

Question 3

Semiotics

What is a signifier?

Answer 3

A word/ sign

Question 4

Semiotics

What is a signified?

Answer 4

The idea represented by the signifier

Question 5

Semiotics

What is an icon?

Answer 5

A sign that resembles what it really is

e.g. a fire exit sign is an icon for a fire exit

Question 6

Semiotics

What is an index?

Answer 6

A sign that works by a relationship to an object

e.g. smoke is a result of a fire

Question 7

Semiotics

What is a code?

Answer 7

systems of signs used to create meaning

e.g. Barthes’ codes

Question 8

Semiotics

What is a symbol?

Answer 8

A sign/ image representing ideas through metaphors/ association

Question 9

Semiotics

What is anchorage?

Answer 9

Linguistic text elements (e.g. caption) constrain ‘preferred reading’ of an image

Question 10

Semiotics

What is an ideology?

Answer 10

A set of determined values and beliefs

Question 11

Semiotics

What is a paradigm?

Answer 11

A set of signifiers/ signifieds (e.g. bread, crisps or types of food)

Question 12

Semiotics

What is a syntagm?

Answer 12

Related to structures that create meaning

Question 13

Barthes

What is Barthes’ general view?

Answer 13

Takes a semiotic approach to the study of narratives
* Suggests there are 5 codes that media producers follow to create menaing for audience interpretation

Question 14

Barthes

What does signification mean?

Answer 14

What a sign shows

Question 15

Barthes

What does denotation mean?

Answer 15

Dictionary/ literal word definition

Question 16

Barthes

What does connotation mean?

Answer 16

What is implied/ suggested

Question 17

Barthes

What is a myth?

Answer 17

Socially/ historically determined idea which has become accepted truth

Question 18

Narratology

What are the 5 narrative codes?

Answer 18

Barthes’ 5 codes:
* Hermeneutic/ enigma- anything that isn’t fully explained on purpose
* Action- action leading to narrative progression
* Referential code- textual refs can be understood with a good knowledge of news, events etc
* Semantic- something that connotes more than just a surface level meaning
* Symbolic- non literal meanings that use binary opposites to demonstrate meaning

Question 19

Narratology

What is narration?

Answer 19

Way in which events are put together in media texts

Question 20

Narratology

What is diegesis?

Answer 20

Communication of story from inside world presented

Question 21

Narratology

What is quest narrative?

Answer 21

Grand narrative design involving a hero undertaking a journey

Question 22

Narratology

What is meant by causality?

Answer 22

Cause-and-effect relationship between events

Question 23

Narratology

What is the plot?

Answer 23

Main events of a storyline

Question 24

Narratology

What is the masterplot?

Answer 24

Collection of broad story types told in different contexts across genres

Question 25

What are Todorov's general ideas?

Answer 25

* Narratives aren't the same as a story as they contain causality, time and space * Narratives conbey ideology * Development of online media challanges narratology- audiences have control over it

Question 26

# Todorov What is equilibrium?

Answer 26

State in which opposing forces/ influences are balanced

Question 27

# Todorov What is a new equilibrium?

Answer 27

Conflict is resolved and story reaches a new state of balance from before

Question 28

# Genre Theory- Neale What is Neale's general idea?

Answer 28

* Genre offers comfort and familiarity * Genre invites shared understandings between producer and audience * Genre is relied on within instituations therefore it is important

Question 29

# Genre theory- Neale What are conventions and rules?

Answer 29

Widely recognised way of producing media products

Question 30

# Genre theory- Neale What is a sub-genre?

Answer 30

Sub-category within one parent genre (niche)

Question 31

# Genre theory- Neale What is genre hybridity?

Answer 31

Combination of different genres and styles

Question 32

# Genre theory- Neale What are genres as a cultural category?

Answer 32

Approach which situates genre within wider cultural hierarchies

Question 33

# Structralism- Levi Strauss What are binary oppositions?

Answer 33

Conclict created by two opposing ideas- drives narratives forward

Question 34

# Structuralism- Levi Strauss What is mytheme?

Answer 34

Involves relationship between character, an event, and theme- creates theme from which **myths** are constructed

Question 35

# Structuralism- Levi Strauss What is an ideological reading?

Answer 35

An interpretation based off values and beliefs you have

Question 36

# Structuralism- Levi Strauss What is deconstruction?

Answer 36

The act of analysing the structures used to construct a media product

Question 37

# Postmodernism What is pastiche?

Answer 37

The act of imitating the style or content of other media products

Question 38

# Postmodernism What does bricolage mean?

Answer 38

When signs or artefacts are borrowed from different styles or genres to create something new

Question 39

# Postmodernism What is intertextuality?

Answer 39

Shaping of a text's meaning by another text | Text within a text in terms of meaning

Question 40

# Postmodernism What is implosion?

Answer 40

the collapse of meaning due to the sheer increase of signs and the way they often refer to one another to create meaning

Question 41

What are Baudrillard's ideas on postmodernism?

Answer 41

* Simulacrum acts like Chinese Whispers- results in simulation * Society is becoming an urbanised culture of consumption * The barrier between the real world and media world is crumbling

Question 42

# Postmodernism- Baudrillard What is simulacrum?

Answer 42

Sign that imitates something original, lacks quality and becomes disconnected from the original over time

Question 43

# Postmodernism- Baudrillard What is simulation?

Answer 43

The space we exist in is a combination of physical real world and constructed technological world of media- we can't differentiate representation from reality

Question 44

# Postmodernism- Baudrillard What is meant by hyperreality?

Answer 44

Breakdown between real world and simulated reality- the two become indistinguishable (fake becomes real)