Lesson 1 Role of language in media

Decoder - The signals are interpreted
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Receiver - The message is received by the audience

Use of language in media

When analysing media language, it is important to look at different aspects, such as:

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  Denotation and connotation
  
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  Codes and conventions
  

Denotation vs connotation

When analysing a media text, it is important to consider both the denotations and connotations of the meaning.
Denotation refers to the literal meaning of something. Think about the dictionary definition of the word.
Connotation refers to the feelings/emotions or cultural meanings we associate with something. Think about what can be implied beyond the literal meaning.
Take the following sentence:
"He was blue".
The denotative meaning of 'blue' is a colour.
The connotative meaning of 'blue' could be a feeling of sadness, as blue is often associated with negative emotions.

Codes and conventions

When analysing media texts, you should be aware of the different codes and conventions used in creating meaning.

Codes

Codes are signs that have the potential to create meaning.
The different codes are: symbolic, technical and written. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail:

Symbolic codes

Communication through different visual signs. When analysing symbolic codes, you should consider the following elements:
Setting - When and where an event takes place.
Mise en scène (French for 'everything within the frame') - All the elements within the frame of a media text and how they have been arranged. This concerns:

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  set design
  
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  props
  
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  costumes
  
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  staging
  

Acting - Actors depict different characters in the media (such as television and film). They embody different characters by adjusting their:

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  Voices (such as accents, pitch, tone)
  
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  Body language
  
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  Facial expressions
  
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  Movement (such as their posture and the way they walk)
  

Colour - Colours can help to set the mood/emotion of something. They can often be specific to certain cultures, meaning they carry different connotations depending on where in the world they are used.
The colour red symbolises luck and happiness in many Eastern cultures, but it could mean love or danger in Western cultures.
It is useful to look at the dominant colour throughout a media text, as this could set the overall mood. For example, if a film often uses a cool tone (such as blue), this could indicate a serious or melancholy mood. You could also consider contrasting colours (such as black/white and red/green) as these can represent conflicts between certain events or characters.