Media Theorists

Laura Mulvay- Male Gaze

Media represents women as passive objects for male desire. Audiences are forced to view women in this way ( as a heterosexual male).

Bell Hooks- Colour Codes

Lighter skinned women are considered more beautiful in western society. Black women are seen are sexualised and objectified in rap connoting a colonist view of black women being disposable. Commodified blackness, a mediated view of black culture that is considered the norm.

Stuart Hall

Media and, therefore audiences, often blur race and class. Often associating particular races with a particular class. Audiences read/ understand through their cultural upbringing. Western ( white dominated) cultures continue to misinterpret ethnic minorities in the media due to underlying racist tendencies. Ethnic minorities are often represented as 'the other'.

Stuart Hall- Black Characterisations In Media

Hall outlines three base images of the 'grammar of race' employed in 'old movies'.

 The first is the slave figure which could take the form of either the dependable, loving devoted mother with the rolling eyes, or the faithful field hand attached and devoted to his master.

The second of Hall's base image- the native. Their primitive nature means they are cheating, cunning, savage and barbarian. In movies, we expect them 'to appear at any moment out of the darkness to decapitate the beautiful heroine, kidnap the children...'

The last of Hall's variants is that of the clown or entertainer, implying an innate humour in the black man. Interestingly, the distinction is never made as to whether we are laughing with or at the clown; overt racism is rare in media rather, says Hall, it is 'inferential'.

Audience Reception Theory

A preferred reading (or dominant system of response) is a way of understanding the text that is consistent with the ideas and intentions of the producer or creator of the product. This may lead to an acceptance of the dominant values within the text.

With a negotiated reading (or subordinate response) the individual has a choice as to whether or not they accept the preferred reading as their own. Audience members may read the text through a filter of their own personal agenda. Although there may be an acceptance of the dominant values and existing social structure, the individual may be prepared to argue that a particular social group may be unfairly represented.

In an oppositional reading (or radical response) individual members of an audience may completely reject the preferred reading of the dominant code and social values that produced it.

An aberrant reading is where an entirely different meaning from that intended by the maker will be taken from the text. This could be when individual members of the audience do not share, in any way, the values of the maker of the text.

The Hypodermic Needle Theory

The theory suggests that the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and uniformly by 'shooting' or 'injecting' them with messages designed to trigger a response.

Moral Panic

A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order.

Narrative Theories

Todorov:
1) Equilibrium
2) Disruption of equilibrium
3) Recognition of the disruption
4) An attempt to repair
5) Equilibrium is restored or a new equilibrium is established

Levi Strauss:
The meaning in narrative is based upon binary oppositions. He observed that all narratives are organised around the conflict between such binary opposites.
 Good vs Evil
 Human vs Nature
 Black vs White
 Protagonist vs Antagonist
 Humanity vs Technology
 Man vs Woman
 Human vs Alien

Roland Barthes:
Refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader. The purpose of the author in this is typically to keep the audience guessing, arresting the enigma, until the final scenes when all is revealed and all loose ends are tied off and closure is achieved.

Propp:
Hero: Character(s) who's quest is to restore the equilibrium.
Villian: Character(s) who's task is to disrupt the equilibrium.
Donor: Character(s) who gives the hero(s) something, advice, information or an object.
Helper: Character(s) who aids the hero(s) with their set task
Princess/ Prince: Character(s) which need help, protecting and saving.
The King: Character which rewards the hero.
Dispatcher: Character(s) who send the hero(s)on their quest.
False Hero: Character(s) who set out to undermine the hero's quest by pretending to aid them. Often unmasked at the end of the film.

moving animation

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF4H-LV5l_4

still image animation

                                       
                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0RH2TAoqZA

Target audience factors

Socio-economic

This is related to how much a person earns and their class: upper, middle and working. With more money you can climb up the social ladder: this is called social mobility. For media , the higher the person’s income is, the more disposable income they have for media products and can consume a greater variety and quantity of media.

Age:

The age of a target audience will change the way companies design there product– this can be through the way a story is or the language used,.  Age groups can be defined by: children, teens, middle aged and senior.

Gender:

Gender preferences aren’t defined clearly: in the past many believed interests were clearly different with boys liking sports and girls liking fashion (for example). In modern society we can see that trends are changing as interests are shared across all genders. The target audience gender will affect how the product is styled to appeal to the different gender groups.

Ethnic groups:

With migration and the internet media has a bigger audience with a wide range of ethnic groups. With the spread of media and internet; heritage, cultures race, religion and languages need to be consider. If not  taken into account it could cause offence.

Psychographics:

It is the psychological effect on the individual and way they see themselves and others. A product can affect their opinions, lifestyle , attitudes and interests. These can be collected through questionnaires and statements to build up a life like picture and can target a specific type. Groupings include: resigned, struggler, mainstreamer, aspirer, succeeder, explorer and reformer.

Geodemographics:

This is based on the locations of the target audience, this can effect they style of a product or language used. It also includes the way people feel towards their region and nationality.

Sexual orientation:

The audiences sexuality can effect a product, not only the preferences effect the product but also the style of language and imagery within a product. Often producers try to ensure no offence is taken by a product.

Mainstream versus niche:

This relates o the purpose of a product being created: whether the product is being made to appeal to a wide range of people (mainstream) or a small group of people (niche). This changes the target audience of a product and what needs to be considered when making a product.

Regulatory Bodies

https://www.slideshare.net/JPMolloy18/regulatory-bodies-131768175

Final version of magazine front cover

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