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 picture editor selects the photo from a whole series of images to be used to illustrate a news story. The image may be cropped, resized and, in some cases, photoshopped.
• A news editor will decide on the way the story will be presented, and the use of captions to pin down, or anchor, the meaning of the image.
• The photograph of Kate Middleton in the newspaper is a re-presentation of what she looks like, with people controlling and manipulating the image at various stages throughout the process.

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

• It is important to analyse who is creating representations and why as all media products have a specific function which impacts the representations they construct. All representations are the cumulative effect of a collection of media language choices. The representation itself is the combination of these selections and rejections.

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 viewer and the text.

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

• audience members can now construct and share their own media products as 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?

• queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen
• However, social media forums and comment pages allowed many people to voice their rejection of the messages. Through self representation, they were able to show that they distanced themselves from the values in the tabloid newspaper.

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.

• A dominant representation shown in this clip is that the boss is a white person following the stereotype that white people are usually more successful than others, however there is also an alternative representation with the same character as she is a women who are usually portrayed as being in subordinate positions whereas men are usually seen in higher up positions, the opposite is shown in Luther as instead of being the boss, both men are subordinate to the women. Another dominant representation is that police are allowed to get away with things that others may not be able to do without going to prison as after meeting with his superior she mentions that the inquiry has found no grounds for disciplinary action due to the exceptional circumstances which may not be granted to an average civilian.

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

• Levi-Strauss' theory of representation and ideology could be applied here as this clip could be reflecting the producers beliefs surrounding the police of London, for example the director may believe that police are able to get away with things that they shouldn't be able to e.g. letting another person die when they could have intervened. Medhurst's theory of value judgements can be applied to this as stereotypes are used to inform the audience about some of the character traits e.g. women in charge is straight to the point - tells us that she doesn't like to waste time.