Glossary Flashcards
what is an action code?
something that happens in the narrative that tells the audience that some action will follow- cheating partner and spouse pulls up in the driveway
what is an active audience?
audiences actively engage in selecting media products to consume and interpreting their meanings
what is anchorage text?
the words that accompany an image (still or moving) contributing to the meaning associated with the image. If the words are changed, this may change the overall interpretation.
what is appeal? (in terms of media products)
the way in which products attract and interest an audience, e.g.-through familiar genre conventions, stereotypes)
what is an arc of transformation?
the emotional changes a character goes through in the process of the narrative. the events in the story mean that they will ‘transform’ by the end of the story
what does aspirational mean? (in terms of media texts)
one that encourages the audience to want more money, up-market consumer items and a higher social position
what does attract mean?
how media producers create appeal to audiences to encourage them to consume the product
what does audience categorisation mean?
how media producers group audiences (e.g.- by age, gender, ethnicity) to target their products
what does audience consumption mean?
the way in which audiences engage with media products (e.g.- viewing a TV programme, playing a video game, reading a blog or magazine). Methods of consumption have changed significantly due to the development of digital technologies.
what does audience interpretation mean?
the way in which audiences ‘read’ the meanings in, and make sense of, media products
what does audience positioning mean?
the way in which media products place audiences (literally or metaphorically) in relation to a particular point of view. For example, audiences may be positioned with a particular character or positioned to adopt a specific ideological perspective.
what does audience response mean?
how audiences react to media products (e.g.- by accepting the intended meanings, or preferred readings)
what is audience segmentation?
Where a target audience is divided up due to the diversity and range of programmes and channels. This makes it difficult for one programme to attract a large target audience
what is audio?
How sound is used to communicate meaning- voice-over, dialogue, music, SFX, etc.
What is an avatar?
A player’s representation of themselves within a game
What is a back story?
Part of a narrative which may be the experiences of a character or the circumstances of an event that occur before the action or narrative of a media text.
What are binary opposites?
Where texts incorporate examples of opposite values
What is brand identity?
The association the audience make with the brand, built up over time and reinforced by the advertising campaigns and their placement
What is a broadsheet?
A larger newspaper that publishes more serious news, for example the Guardian
What are camera angles?
The angle of the camera in relation to the subject.
What are camera shots?
The type of shot and framing in relation to the subject
What is a caption?
Words that accompany an image that help to explain it’s meaning
What is a channel identity?
That which makes the channel recognisable to audiences and different from any other channel
What is circulation?
The spreading (dissemination) of media products to audiences/users- the method will depend on the media form
What are connotations?
The suggested meanings attached to a sign
What are conventions?
What the audience expects to see in a particular media text
What is convergence?
The coming together of previously separate media industries and/or platforms- i.e.- a print-based advert and the same advert on social media and on TV
What are cover lines?
These suggest the content to the reader and often contain teasers and rhetorical questions.
What is cross-platform marketing?
In media terms, a text that is distributed and exhibited across a range of media formats or platforms.
What is cultural captial?
The media tastes and preferences of an audience, traditionally linked to social class/background
What is a demographic category?
A group in which consumers are placed according to:
-their age
-their sex
-their income
-thier profession
The catergoires range from A to E where categories A and B are the wealthiest and most influential members of society
What is a denotation?
The literal meaning of a sign
What is digetic sound?
Sound that comes from the scene, or fictional word, e.g.- a gun firing in a TV show, a ambulance siren in a advert
What is discourse?
The topics, language and meanings or values behind them within a media text.
What is distribution?
The methods by which media products are delivered to audiences, including the marketing campaign
What is diversification?
Where media organisations who have specialsied in producing media products in ome form move into producing content accross a range of forms.
What is editing?
The way in which the shots move from one to the other (transitions)
What is encoding and decoding?
Media producers encode messages and meanings into products that are decoded, or interpretated, by audiences
What is an enigma code?
A narrative device which increases tension and audeinces interest by only releasing bits of information, for example teaser trailers for films
What is equilibrium?
In relation to narrative, a state of balance or stability (In Todorov’s theory the equilibrium is disrupted and ultimateley restored)
What is ethnocentric?
A belief in ther superority of one’s own enthinc group or culture.
What is ethos?
The beliefs, vlaues and customs of, for example, media organisations (think BBC’s Royal Charter)
What is a fan?
An enthusiast or afficionado of a particular media form or product
What is a feature? (In terms of magazines)
the main, or one of the mian, stories in an edition
What is a flexi narrative?
A more complex narrative structre with layers of interweaving storylines. This challenges the audiences and keeps them watching
What are the fours Cs?
This stands for Cross Cultural Consumer Characteristics and was a way of categorising consumers into groups through their motivational needs, such as Mainstreamers, Aspirers, Explorers, and Reformers
What is a franchise?
An entire series of, for example, a film that included the original and includes all the suceeding ones
What are gate keepers?
The people responsible for deciding the most appropriate stories to appear in newspapers. They could be the owner, eidtor or senior journalists.
What is a genre?
categories containing media texts that all share similar conventions
What is global? (in terms of media products)
Worldwide, a media product that has a global reach and is distributed around the world.