Representation

What Is Representation?

• Representation refers to the construction of any

medium of aspects ‘reality’.

• It can be a single image, a sequence of images

or a whole program.

• The media does not present reality they ‘re-

present it’ – they’re representing things that have

already occurred.

How Does Representation Work?

• Representations invite audiences to understand

them and agree with them in certain preferred

ways.

• Different interpretations are possible to some

extent, depending on the audience.

Power of Representation

• Whatever representations are used, there are

ideologies, meanings and values that are implicit

in that presentation.

• The gives great power and responsibility to

media institutions as the representations can

influence social attitudes in many different ways.

Stereotypes

• Stereotypes are used to help an audience

instantly identify and understand the meaning of

a text or media.

• They are an extreme form of representation and

can sometimes be focused on and therefore

exaggerated.

• Stereotypes are usually negatives

representations and most have many

assumptions.

Ideology

• Ideology is a set of beliefs and ideas that are presented in a media text. Dominant ideologies are those which are accepted and understood by the majority of people as part of our culture and expectations.

• O’Sullivan – States that underpinning most of the media, various powerful vested interests operate to ensure that particular representations are manifested.

• Noam Chomsky – Argues that the media serve the interests of the state and corporate power.