Media Terms glossary

Question 1

Roland Barthes

Answer 1

Semiotics
The idea that texts communicate their meanings through a process of signification
The idea that signs can function at the level of denotation, which involves the ‘literal’ or common-sense meaning of the sign, and at the level of connotation, which involves the meanings associated with or suggested by the sign
The idea that constructed meanings can come to seem self-evident, achieving the status of myth through a process of naturalisation.

Question 2

Preferred reading

Answer 2

What the writer wants the audience to think

Question 3

Oppositional reading

Answer 3

When the audience deviates from the opinion of the writer

Question 4

Anchorage

Answer 4

The words that accompany an image (still or moving) contribute to the meaning associated with that image. If the caption or voice-over is changed then so may the way in which the audience interprets the image. An image with an anchor is a closed text; the audience are given a preferred reading. A text without an anchor is an open text as the audience can interpret it as they wish.
The same image of a school in a local newspaper could include a negative or a positive headline, which may change the way in which the same image is viewed by the reader.

Question 5

Steve Neale

Answer 5

Genre
The idea that genres may be dominated by repetition, but are also marked by difference, variation, and change
The idea that genres change, develop, and vary, as they borrow from and overlap with one another
The idea that genres exist within specific economic, institutional and industrial contexts.

Question 6

Todorov

Answer 6

Narrative
The idea that all narratives share a basic structure that involves a movement from one state of equilibrium to another
The idea that these two states of equilibrium are separated by a period of imbalance or disequilibrium
The idea that the way in which narratives are resolved can have particular ideological significance.

Question 7

Vladimir Propp

Answer 7

Character types

Question 8

Stuart Hall - Representation

Answer 8

Representation
The idea that representation is the production of meaning through language, with language defined in its broadest sense as a system of signs
The idea that the relationship between concepts and signs is governed by codes
The idea that stereotyping, as a form of representation, reduces people to a few
Simple characteristics or traits
The idea that stereotyping tends to occur where there are inequalities
of power, as subordinate or excluded groups are constructed as different or ‘other’ (e.g. Through ethnocentrism).

Question 9

David Gauntlet

Answer 9

Identity
The idea that the media provide us with ‘tools’ or resources that we use to construct our identities
The idea that whilst in the past the media tended to convey singular, straightforward messages about ideal types of male and female identities, the media today offer us a more diverse range of stars, icons and characters from whom we may pick and mix different ideas.

Question 10

Curran and seaton

Answer 10

Power of media industry
The idea that the media is controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit and power
The idea that media concentration generally limits or inhibits variety, creativity and quality
The idea that more socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions.

Question 11

Albert Bandura

Answer 11

Media effects
The idea that the media is controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit and power
The idea that media concentration generally limits or inhibits variety, creativity and quality
The idea that more socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions.

Question 12

George Gerbner

Answer 12

Cultivation
The idea that exposure to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of time can shape and influence the way in which people perceive the world around them (i.e. Cultivating particular views and opinions)
The idea that cultivation reinforces mainstream values (dominant ideologies).

Question 13

Claude Lévi-Strauss

Answer 13

Structuralism
The idea that texts can best be understood through an examination of their underlying structure
The idea that meaning is dependent upon (and produced through) pairs of oppositions
The idea that the way in which these binary oppositions are resolved can have particular ideological significance.

Question 14

Jean Baudrillard

Answer 14

Postmodernism
The idea that in postmodern culture the boundaries between the ‘real’ world and the world of the media have collapsed and that it is no longer possible to distinguish between reality and simulation
The idea that in a postmodern age of simulacra we are immersed in a world of images which no longer refer to anything ‘real’
The idea that media images have come to seem more ‘real’ than the reality they supposedly represent (hyperreality).

Question 15

Liesbet van Zoonen

Answer 15

Feminist
The idea that gender is constructed through discourse, and that its meaning varies according to cultural and historical context
The idea that the display of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture
The idea that in mainstream culture the visual and narrative codes that are used to construct the male body as spectacle differ from those used to objectify the female body.

Question 16

Action code

Answer 16

Something that happens in the narrative that tells the audience that some action will follow, for example in a scene from a soap opera, a couple are intimate in a bedroom and the camera shows the audience the husband’s car pulling up at the front of the house.

Question 17

Audience segmentation

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Audience positioning

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

ARC OF TRANSFORMATION

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Audience categorisation

Answer 20

How media producers group audiences (e.g. by age, gender ethnicity) to target their products.

Question 21

Audience consumption

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

Active audience

Answer 22

Audiences actively engage in selecting media products to consume and interpreting their meanings.

Question 23

Appeal

Answer 23

The way in which products attract and interest an audience, e.g. through the use of stars, familiar genre conventions etc.

Question 24

Aspirational

Answer 24

In terms of a media text, one that encourages the audience to want more money, up-market consumer items and a higher social position.

Question 25

Attract

Answer 25

How media producers create appeal to audiences to encourage them to consume the product.

Question 26

Audience interpretation

Answer 26

The way in which audiences 'read' the meanings in, and make sense of, media products.

Question 27

Audience response

Answer 27

How audiences react to media products e.g. by accepting the intended meanings (preferred reading).

Question 28

Audio/sound

Answer 28

How sound is used to communicate meaning - voice-over, dialogue, music, SFX, diegetic, non diegetic etc.

Question 29

Avatar

Answer 29

A player's representation of themselves within a game.

Question 30

Back story

Answer 30

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. It is a device that gives the audience more information and makes the main story more credible.

Question 31

Binary opposites

Answer 31

Where texts incorporate examples of opposite values; for example, good versus evil, villain versus hero. These can be apparent in the characters, narrative or themes.

Question 32

Brand identity

Answer 32

The association the audience make with the brand, for example Chanel or Nike, built up over time and reinforced by the advertising campaigns and their placement.

Question 33

Broad sheet

Answer 33

A larger newspaper that publishes more serious news, for example The Daily Telegraph has maintained its broadsheet format.

Question 34

Camera angles

Answer 34

The angle of the camera in relation to the subject. For example, a high angle shot (shot of a character from above) may make them appear more vulnerable.

Question 35

Camera shots

Answer 35

The type of shot and framing in relation to the subject, for example, close-up shots are often used to express emotion.

Question 36

Caption

Answer 36

Words that accompany an image that help to explain its meaning.

Question 37

Caption

Answer 37

That which makes the channel recognisable to audiences and different from any other channel. Presenters, stars, programme genres and specific programmes all contribute to a channel's identity.

Question 38

Circulation

Answer 38

The dissemination of media products to audiences/users - the method will depend on the media form e.g. circulation of print magazines, broadcast of television programmes etc.

Question 39

Connotation

Answer 39

The suggested meanings attached to a sign, e.g., the red car in the advert suggests speed and power.

Question 40

Conventions

Answer 40

What the audience expects to see in a particular media text, for example the conventions of science fiction films may include: aliens, scientists, other worlds, gadgets, representations of good and evil, etc. Useful headings to discuss conventions are: characters, setting, iconography, narrative, technical codes and representation.

Question 41

Convergence

Answer 41

The coming together of previously separate media industries and/or platforms; often the result of advances in technology whereby one device or platform contains a range of different features. The mobile phone, for example, allows the user to download and listen to music, view videos, tweet artists etc. All this can be done through one portable device.

Question 42

Cover lines

Answer 42

These suggest the content to the reader and often contain teasers and rhetorical questions. These relate to the genre of the magazine.

Question 43

Cross platform marketing

Answer 43

In media terms, a text that is distributed and exhibited across a range of media formats or platforms. This may include film, television, print, radio and the Internet.

Question 44

Cultural capital

Answer 44

The media tastes and preferences of an audience, traditionally linked to social class/background.

Question 45

Demographic category

Answer 45

A group in which consumers are placed according to their age, sex, income, profession, etc. The categories range from A to E where categories A and B are the wealthiest and most influential members of society.

Question 46

Denotation

Answer 46

The literal meaning of a sign, e.g. the car in the advert is red.

Question 47

Diegetic sound

Answer 47

Sound that comes from the fictional world, for example the sound of a gun firing, the cereal being poured into the bowl in an advert, etc.

Question 48

Discourse

Answer 48

The topics, language and meanings or values behind them within a media text. The discourse of lifestyle magazines, for example, tends to revolve around body image and narcissism.

Question 49

Distribution

Answer 49

The methods by which media products are delivered to audiences, including the marketing campaign. These methods will depend upon the product (for example, distribution companies in the film industry organise the release of the films, as well as their promotion).

Question 50

Diversification

Answer 50

Where media organisations who have specialised in producing media products in one form move into producing content across a range of forms.

Question 51

Editing

Answer 51

The way in which the shots move from one to the other (transitions), e.g. fade, cut, etc. Fast cutting may increase the pace and therefore the tension of the text, for example.

Question 52

Encoding, decoding

Answer 52

Media producers encode messages and meanings in products that are decoded, or interpreted, by audiences.

Question 53

Enigma code

Answer 53

A narrative device which increases tension and audience interest by only releasing bits of information, for example teasers in a film trailer or narrative strands that are set up at the beginning of a drama/film that make the audience ask questions; part of a restricted narrative.

Question 54

Equilibrium

Answer 54

In relation to narrative, a state of balance or stability (in Todorov's theory the equilibrium is disrupted and ultimately restored).

Question 55

Ethnocentric

Answer 55

A belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. For example, a newspaper will be more concerned to cover stories that are closely related to the reader and their concerns. Tabloid and local papers only tend to cover international news stories if they can relate them specifically to their readers.

Question 56

Ethos

Answer 56

The beliefs, values and customs of, for example, media organisations. In television, for example, what the channel believes in and what it sees as its role. The ethos is usually set out in the channel's charter.

Question 57

Fan

Answer 57

An enthusiast or aficionado of a particular media form or product.

Question 58

Feature

Answer 58

In magazine terms, the main, or one of the main, stories in an edition. Features are generally located in the middle of the magazine, and cover more than one or two pages.

Question 59

Flexi narrative

Answer 59

A more complex narrative structure with layers of interweaving storylines. This challenges the audience and keeps them watching.

Question 60

Four c’s

Answer 60

This stands for Cross Cultural Consumer Characteristics and was a way of categorising consumers into groups through their motivational needs. The main groups were Mainstreamers, Aspirers, Explorers, Succeeders and Reformers.

Question 61

Franchise

Answer 61

An entire series of, for example, a film including the original film and all those that follow.

Question 62

Gate keepers

Answer 62

The people responsible for deciding the most appropriate stories to appear in newspapers. They may be the owner, editor or senior journalists. They will only let the stories most appropriate for the ideology of the paper 'through the gate'.

Question 63

Genre

Answer 63

Media texts can often be grouped into genres that all share similar conventions. Science fiction is a genre, as are teenage magazines, etc.

Question 64

Global

Answer 64

Worldwide - e.g. a media product with global reach is a product that is distributed around the world.

Question 65

Hegemony

Answer 65

This derives from the theory of cultural hegemony by Antonio Gramsci. Hegemony is the dominance of one group over another, often supported by legitimating norms and ideas. For example, the dominant social position in society is taken by men and the subordinate one by women.

Question 66

Horizontal integration

Answer 66

Where a media conglomerate is made up of different companies that produce and sell similar products, often as a result of mergers. For example a company with interests in film, TV, magazines newspaper.

Question 67

House style

Answer 67

Where a media conglomerate is made up of different companies that produce and sell similar products, often as a result of mergers. For example a company with interests in film, TV, magazines newspaper.

Question 68

Hybrid genre

Answer 68

Media texts that incorporate elements of more than one genre and are therefore more difficult to classify are genre hybrids. Dr Who, for example, is a science fiction/fantasy television drama.

Question 69

Hypodermic needle theory

Answer 69

Generally acknowledged to be an out of date media effects theory which suggests that an audience will have a mass response to a media text. The idea is that the media product injects an idea into the mind of an audience who are assumed to be passive and as a result will all respond in the same way.

Question 70

Iconography

Answer 70

The props, costumes, objects and backgrounds associated with a particular genre; for example, in a police series you would expect to see, uniforms, blue flashing lights, scene of crime tape and police radios.

Question 71

Ideology

Answer 71

A set of messages, values and beliefs that may be encoded into media products.

Question 72

Independent film

Answer 72

A film made outside of the financial and artistic control of a large mainstream film company. A truly independent film will be privately conceived and funded. However, few films made are really 'independent'. This more commonly refers to a film that is made by a smaller film company on a low budget.

Question 73

Independent record label

Answer 73

A record label that operates without the funding of, and that is not necessarily linked to, a major record label.

Question 74

Intellectual properties

Answer 74

A legal concept which refers to creations of the mind for which the owner's rights are recognised. These rights cover such intangible assets as music, literary and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs.

Question 75

Interactive audiences

Answer 75

The ways in which audiences can become actively involved with a product, for example by posting a response to a blog or live tweeting during a television programme.

Question 76

Intertextual

Answer 76

Where one media text makes reference to aspects of another text within it. For example, referencing a scene from a film in a television advertisement. Audiences enjoy recognising intertextual references.

Question 77

Intertextuality

Answer 77

Where one media product intertextually references another.

Question 78

Layout and design

Answer 78

The way in which a page has been designed to attract the target audience. This includes the font styles used, the positioning of text and images and the use of colour.

Question 79

Linear narrative

Answer 79

Where the narrative unfolds in chronological order from beginning to end.

Question 80

Ludology

Answer 80

The study of games and those who play them, relevant to video games.

Question 81

Masculinity

Answer 81

The perceived characteristics generally considered to define what it is to be a man. These can change according to sociological and cultural variations

Question 82

Mass audience

Answer 82

The traditional idea of the audience as one large, homogenous group.

Question 83

Conglomerates

Answer 83

A company that owns other companies across a range of media platforms. This increases their domination of the market and their ability to distribute and exhibit their product.

Question 84

Media forms

Answer 84

Types of media products, for example television, newspapers, advertising.

Question 85

Media language

Answer 85

The specific elements of a media product that communicate meanings to audiences, e.g. visual codes, audio codes, technical codes, language.

Question 86

Media platform

Answer 86

The range of different ways of communicating with an audience, for example newspapers, the Internet, and television.

Question 87

Mediation

Answer 87

The way in which a media text is constructed in order to represent a version of reality; constructed through selection, organisation and focus.

Question 88

Mis-en-scene

Answer 88

In analysis of moving image products, how the combination of images in the frame creates meaning; how individual shots in a film or photograph have been composed.

Question 89

Misrepresentation

Answer 89

Certain social groups (usually minority groups) may be represented in a way that is inappropriate and not based on reality.

Question 90

MMO, RPG

Answer 90

Massively multi-player online role-playing game.

Question 91

Mode of address

Answer 91

The way in which a media text 'speaks to' its target audience. For example, teenage magazines have a chatty informal mode of address; the news has a more formal mode of address.

Question 92

Narrative

Answer 92

The 'story' that is told by the media text. All media texts, not just fictional texts, have a narrative. For example, magazines have a clear beginning, middle and end. Most narratives are linear and follow a specific structure (see Todorov).

Question 93

News agency

Answer 93

The list of stories that may appear in a particular paper. The items on the news agenda will reflect the style and ethos of the paper.

Question 94

Niche audience

Answer 94

A relatively small audience with specialised interests, tastes, and backgrounds.

Question 95

Non diegetic sound

Answer 95

Sound that comes from outside the fictional world, for example a voiceover, romantic mood music etc.

Question 96

Non linear narrative

Answer 96

Here the narrative manipulates time and space. It may begin in the middle and then include flashbacks and other narrative devices.

Question 97

Open world

Answer 97

In an open world computer game the player can move freely though the virtual world and is not restricted by levels and other barriers to free roaming.

Question 98

Opinion leaders

Answer 98

People in society who may affect the way in which others interpret a particular media text. With regard to advertising, this may be a celebrity or other endorser recommending a product.

Question 99

Passive audience

Answer 99

The idea (now widely regarded as outdated) that audiences do not actively engage with media products, but passively consume and accept the messages that producers communicate.

Question 100

Patriarchal society

Answer 100

A society or culture that is male dominated.

Question 101

Pick and mix theory

Answer 101

Suggested by British sociologist and media theorist, David Gauntlett. He asserted the autonomy of the audience and challenged the notion that audiences are immediately affected by what they read. He maintains that audiences are more sophisticated than this and will select aspects of the media texts that best suit their needs and ignore the rest.

Question 102

Plurality

Answer 102

In a media context, this refers to a range of content to suit many people.

Question 103

Political bias

Answer 103

Where a newspaper may show support for a political party through its choice of stories, style of coverage, cartoons, etc. It may be subtle and implicit or explicit as in the case of the tabloid newspapers on election day.

Question 104

Privileged spectator position

Answer 104

Where the camera places the audience in a superior position within the narrative. The audience can then anticipate what will follow.

Question 105

Production

Answer 105

The process by which media products are constructed.

Question 106

Products

Answer 106

Media texts, including television programmes, magazines, video games, newspapers etc. as well as online, social and participatory platforms.

Question 107

Public service broadcaster

Answer 107

A radio and television broadcaster that is financed by public money (e.g. the licence fee in the UK) and is seen to offer a public service by catering for a range of audiences and providing information, as well as entertainment.

Question 108

Realism

Answer 108

A style of presentation that claims to portray 'real life' accurately and authentically.

Question 109

Regulator

Answer 109

A person or body that supervises a particular industry.

Question 110

REPERTOIRE OF ELEMENTS

Answer 110

Key features that distinguish one genre from another.

Question 111

Representation

Answer 111

The way in which key groups or aspects of society are presented by the media, e.g. gender, race, age, the family, etc. Literally, a re-representation or constructed version of that which is shown.

Question 112

Selection and combination

Answer 112

Media producers actively choose elements of media language and place them alongside others to create specific representations or versions of reality.

Question 113

Sexual objectification

Answer 113

The practice of regarding a person as an object to be viewed only in terms of their sexual appeal and with no consideration of any other aspect of their character or personality.

Question 114

Sign/code

Answer 114

Something which communicates meaning, e.g., colours, sounds. The meaning of the sign changes according to the context, e.g., the colour red can mean passion, love, danger or speed depending on how and where it is used.

Question 115

Simulcast

Answer 115

The streaming of live radio programmes from the website at the same time as they are broadcast on the radio.

Question 116

Specialised audience

Answer 116

A non-mass, or niche, audience that may be defined by a particular social group (for example young, aspirational females) or by a specific interest (for example skydiving).

Question 117

Splash

Answer 117

The story that is given the most prominence on the front page of a newspaper.

Question 118

Stereotype

Answer 118

An exaggerated representation of someone or something. It is also where a certain group are associated with a certain set of characteristics, for example all Scotsmen are mean, blondes are dumb, etc. Stereotypes can be quick ways of communicating information in adverts and dramas, e.g. the rebellious teenager in a soap opera, as they are easily recognisable to audiences.

Question 119

Stripped

Answer 119

A technique used in radio and television whereby a certain programme is broadcast at the same time every day. In radio this attracts an audience who associate a particular programme with their daily routine, for example driving home from work.

Question 120

Sub genre

Answer 120

Where a genre is sub-divided into smaller categories each of which has their own set of conventions. For example, the television drama genre can be sub-divided into teen drama, hospital drama, costume drama, etc.

Question 121

Subject specific lexis

Answer 121

The specific language and vocabulary used to engage the audience. Subject-specific lexis used on the front cover of the magazine will make the reader feel part of the group who belong to the world of that magazine. For example, terminology used on the front covers of gaming magazines.

Question 122

Synergy

Answer 122

The combination of elements to maximise profits within a media organisation or product. For example, where a film soundtrack sells the film and the film sells the soundtrack.

Question 123

Tabloid

Answer 123

Refers to the dimensions of a newspaper; a tabloid is smaller and more compact in size. However, there are further connotations attached to the term and it also tends to refer to a newspaper whose content focuses on lighter news, for example celebrity gossip, sport and television.

Question 124

Target audience

Answer 124

The people at whom the media text is aimed.

Question 125

Technical codes

Answer 125

These are the way in which the text has been produced to communicate meanings and are part of media language (see Section 8).

Question 126

Textual poaching

Answer 126

The way in which audiences or fans may take particular texts and interpret or reinvent them in different ways e.g. by creating fan fiction.

Question 127

Underrepresentation

Answer 127

Certain social groups (usually minority groups) may be rarely represented or be completely absent from media products.

Question 128

Users and gratification theory

Answer 128

Suggests that active audiences seek out and use different media texts in order to satisfy a need and experience different pleasures.

Question 129

Vertical integration

Answer 129

Vertically integrated companies own all or most of the chain of production and distribution for the product. For example, a film company that also owns a chain of multiplex cinemas to exhibit the film and merchandise outlets.

Question 130

Viewpoints

Answer 130

Different perspectives in relation to values, attitudes, beliefs or ideologies.

Question 131

Viral marketing

Answer 131

Where the awareness of the product or the advertising campaign is spread through less conventional ways including social networks and the Internet. Viral marketing is so named because many of the messages use 'hosts' to spread themselves rapidly, like a biological virus.

Question 132

Visual codes

Answer 132

The visual aspects of the product that construct meaning and are part of media language, for example clothing, expression, and gesture (see Section 8).

Question 133

Window on the world

Answer 133

The idea that media texts, particularly those that present aspects of reality, for example news programmes, are showing the audience the 'real' world as it happens.

Question 134

Plurality

Answer 134

In a media context, this refers to a range of content to suit many people.

Question 135

Political bias

Answer 135

Where a newspaper may show support for a political party through its choice of stories, style of coverage, cartoons, etc. It may be subtle and implicit or explicit as in the case of the tabloid newspapers on election day.

Question 136

Privileged spectator position

Answer 136

Where the camera places the audience in a superior position within the narrative. The audience can then anticipate what will follow.

Question 137

Production

Answer 137

The process by which media products are constructed.

Question 138

Products

Answer 138

Media texts, including television programmes, magazines, video games, newspapers etc. as well as online, social and participatory platforms.

Question 139

Public service broadcaster

Answer 139

A radio and television broadcaster that is financed by public money (e.g. the licence fee in the UK) and is seen to offer a public service by catering for a range of audiences and providing information, as well as entertainment.

Question 140

Realism

Answer 140

A style of presentation that claims to portray 'real life' accurately and authentically.

Question 141

Regulator

Answer 141

A person or body that supervises a particular industry.

Question 142

REPERTOIRE OF ELEMENTS

Answer 142

Key features that distinguish one genre from another.

Question 143

Representation

Answer 143

The way in which key groups or aspects of society are presented by the media, e.g. gender, race, age, the family, etc. Literally, a re-representation or constructed version of that which is shown.

Question 144

Selection and combination

Answer 144

Media producers actively choose elements of media language and place them alongside others to create specific representations or versions of reality.

Question 145

Sexual objectification

Answer 145

The practice of regarding a person as an object to be viewed only in terms of their sexual appeal and with no consideration of any other aspect of their character or personality.

Question 146

Sign/code

Answer 146

Something which communicates meaning, e.g., colours, sounds. The meaning of the sign changes according to the context, e.g., the colour red can mean passion, love, danger or speed depending on how and where it is used.

Question 147

Simulcast

Answer 147

The streaming of live radio programmes from the website at the same time as they are broadcast on the radio.

Question 148

Specialised audience

Answer 148

A non-mass, or niche, audience that may be defined by a particular social group (for example young, aspirational females) or by a specific interest (for example skydiving).

Question 149

Splash

Answer 149

The story that is given the most prominence on the front page of a newspaper.

Question 150

Stereotype

Answer 150

An exaggerated representation of someone or something. It is also where a certain group are associated with a certain set of characteristics, for example all Scotsmen are mean, blondes are dumb, etc. Stereotypes can be quick ways of communicating information in adverts and dramas, e.g. the rebellious teenager in a soap opera, as they are easily recognisable to audiences.

Question 151

Stripped

Answer 151

A technique used in radio and television whereby a certain programme is broadcast at the same time every day. In radio this attracts an audience who associate a particular programme with their daily routine, for example driving home from work.

Question 152

Sub genre

Answer 152

Where a genre is sub-divided into smaller categories each of which has their own set of conventions. For example, the television drama genre can be sub-divided into teen drama, hospital drama, costume drama, etc.

Question 153

Subject specific lexis

Answer 153

The specific language and vocabulary used to engage the audience. Subject-specific lexis used on the front cover of the magazine will make the reader feel part of the group who belong to the world of that magazine. For example, terminology used on the front covers of gaming magazines.

Question 154

Synergy

Answer 154

The combination of elements to maximise profits within a media organisation or product. For example, where a film soundtrack sells the film and the film sells the soundtrack.

Question 155

Tabloid

Answer 155

Refers to the dimensions of a newspaper; a tabloid is smaller and more compact in size. However, there are further connotations attached to the term and it also tends to refer to a newspaper whose content focuses on lighter news, for example celebrity gossip, sport and television.

Question 156

Target audience

Answer 156

The people at whom the media text is aimed.

Question 157

Technical codes

Answer 157

These are the way in which the text has been produced to communicate meanings and are part of media language (see Section 8).

Question 158

Textual poaching

Answer 158

The way in which audiences or fans may take particular texts and interpret or reinvent them in different ways e.g. by creating fan fiction.

Question 159

Underrepresentation

Answer 159

Certain social groups (usually minority groups) may be rarely represented or be completely absent from media products.

Question 160

Users and gratification theory

Answer 160

Suggests that active audiences seek out and use different media texts in order to satisfy a need and experience different pleasures.

Question 161

Vertical integration

Answer 161

Vertically integrated companies own all or most of the chain of production and distribution for the product. For example, a film company that also owns a chain of multiplex cinemas to exhibit the film and merchandise outlets.

Question 162

Viewpoints

Answer 162

Different perspectives in relation to values, attitudes, beliefs or ideologies.

Question 163

Viral marketing

Answer 163

Where the awareness of the product or the advertising campaign is spread through less conventional ways including social networks and the Internet. Viral marketing is so named because many of the messages use 'hosts' to spread themselves rapidly, like a biological virus.

Question 164

Visual codes

Answer 164

The visual aspects of the product that construct meaning and are part of media language, for example clothing, expression, and gesture (see Section 8).

Question 165

Window on the world

Answer 165

The idea that media texts, particularly those that present aspects of reality, for example news programmes, are showing the audience the 'real' world as it happens.

Question 166

Stuart Hall - Reception

Answer 166

Reception The idea that communication is a process involving encoding by producers and decoding by audiences The idea that there are three hypothetical positions from which messages and meanings may be decoded: The dominant-hegemonic position: the encoder’s intended meaning (the preferred reading) is fully understood and accepted The negotiated position: the legitimacy of the encoder’s message is acknowledged in general terms, although the message is adapted or negotiated to better fit the decoder’s own individual experiences or context The oppositional position: the encoder’s message is understood, but the decoder disagrees with it, reading it in a contrary or oppositional way.