Key definitions Flashcards
Definition of archetype
Universal type or model of character that is found in many different texts, eg: hero, villain, damsel in distress
Definition of target audience
The specific type of person that the producers of a media text are aiming their product at
Definition of conventions
The widely recognised way of doing something - this has to do with content, style and form
Definition of denotation
The literal or surface meaning eg: red is the colour of a rose
Definition of genre
A way of categorising a media text according to its form, style and content. The categorisation is useful for producers and audiences to have an understanding of what the media product will entail
Definition of ideologies and values
The set of beliefs and ‘world views’ that are conveyed in a media text
Definition of realism
When the media text strives to demonstrate a true relationship with the actual world around us
Definition of representation
The way in which media ‘re-presents’ the world around us through codes and signs
Definition of stereotype
Representations of people that rely on preconceived ideas about the group that the person belongs to
