When talking about anything Media related, the term LIIAR is often used. This term stands for Media Language (L), Institution (I), Ideology (I), Audience (A) and Representation (R). All five of these concepts will work together to create a Media based piece of work and the Media Language will also often include different concepts like genre and narrative, which is why I am going to talk about Media Language in more detail.
Media Language is defined as the way in which a text is constructed to create meaning for a reader or viewer of the text and this is because every medium is known to have its own 'Language' or combination of languages which is used to communicate meaning. For example, television uses verbal and written language, as well as the languages of moving images and sound. These are called 'languages' because they use familiar codes and conventions that are generally understood. There are a wide range of different media texts available which means there will be an array of different media messages - these messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules and each different form of communication has its own creative language whether it is TV, game shows, newspapers, movies, magazines or books. A good example to explain this point is how scary music in a horror film will heighten fear or how a camera close up will convey intimacy.
By understanding the grammar, syntax and metaphor system of media language (especially the language of sounds and visuals) we can look away from realism and look into our deepest emotional core which increases our appreciation and enjoyment of media experiences as well as helping us to be less susceptible to manipulation. In the image below you can see that I have annotated the 'Men's Health' magazine - by doing this you will be able to see how people are often manipulated when reading different types of media because they don't always think about what they are looking at logically and will usually just take in what they read, as they read it. Here is the image I have annotated:
On this magazine cover you can see that the majority of the feature stories will trick the reader, because obviously it is not possible to just 'grow' muscles, you will have to work out for them and also it is unlikely that you will be able to 'retire rich and die having sex'. Moreover, a lot of red has been used on the magazine cover which may have been used to present passion as quite a few of the feature stories are about sex and on the skyline there is an image of a women next to text which talks about women and sex. In addition, the main image will most likely have been used to show customers what they could look like if they bought the magazine, but that would unbelievingly not happen as all of the feature stories are using words like 'grow' and 'hard abs' which is something you can't have when it comes to your body. After analyzing this magazine you will be able to see that most of the text that has been written has been used to manipulate people, but also to engage them with the magazine, because if you really could 'grow muscle fast' then anyone would buy this magazine just to get the muscle the magazine says they can get, but they don't always think about it and will believe what the media says - leading them on to purchasing the magazine which is where it is an advantage for the magazine company.
Below, I have created a quick slideshow to present the different theorists and their theories when it comes to language in the Media. Here is my slideshow:
Theorists - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
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