Week 4 - "Decoding an Encoded Reality"

Following from last weeks discussion of our individually researched theoretical media journal. Each member of the class presented a media topic to the rest of the class, researched themselves, and dissected and analysed the material using the "Circuit of Culture" theory.

This week, the lectures, title "Decoding an Encoded Reality", asks 5 key questions relating to public discourse.

• Who Created the message?

How a message is constructed and the choices made key considerations made by those who have created the piece of text. But as media analysts, we are aware that what we see is not "real", only a representation of what has happened. The text has gone through a process of construction, where choices have been made and decided as to what wording will be used in the text, as to how is will be perceived by the viewers, in a process of selection and substitution. As an audience, we never get to see what has been rejected etc. What has been chosen, has been chosen for a reason.

• What Creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

This is the format of the mediated text. What creative components are used when putting the piece together? The use of words, is there music, what colours have been used, movement of the camera, is it panning, zooming, a close up, and what kind of camera angle is being used. These have all been selected for a reason.

• How might Different people understand this message different than me?

-Our Differences influence our various interpretations of media message.

-Our Similarities create common understanding.

No 2 people will see/understand the same piece of text, despite the content remaining the same and not changing for either receiver. Each receiver has a unique life experience which creates a unique interpretation due to their lived culture.

• What values, lifestyles &points or view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?

Choices are made when constructing mediated messages, they reflect the values, attitudes and points of view of the ones doing the construction.Decisions about a characters age, race, gender, mixed with the lifestyle, attitudes and behaviours that are portrayed, the selection of a story, and the actions and reactions in the plot, are some of the ways that values become "embedded" in a TV show/Movie/Advert etc. The news strives to create fairness and balance in idea's and viewpoints. We need to know how to locate alternatives of news and entertainment.

-Less Popular or alternative ideas can have a hard time getting aired.

-Unless challenged, old assumptions can create or perpetuate stereotypes.

After all, the worlds media was originally created as a money making enterprise, with advertising first then the news second.

• Why is this message being sent?

Money... most likely. Putting a program to get an audience and then selling that audience to advertisers. A term called "Renting Eyeballs". Simple. The aim of the game is money at the end of it.

When analysis the media text, by which the actual language opposed to the coded message, we need to remember 3 sets of questions:

Representations, Identities, Relations.

We discussed Conversationalisation. The accent and delivery of a mediated text. The use of more local/regional accents as opposed to received pronounciations, are more associated with real/ordinary working class people, who are seen as "one of us" and "someone like me". Received Pronouciations are associated with an official institution, and would not the same reach as a colloquial language or regional accent. As discussed in class, popular accents, like the "Geordie" accent, is more associated with public life, and entertainment, as opposed to political, governmental, science and education etc.

Private = Entertainment, Common Interest etc.

Public = Education, Politics, Business etc.

Marketisation is an important factor when media crosses with entertainment and a serious nature. A large part of media output is clearly designed as entertainment, with the likes of drama's, comedy, quiz shows, soaps etc. There is a definite shif in the boundries of Public and entertainment in media and we see a dumbing down of information in order to appeal to a larger portion of society. We discussed Frontline on RTE, as being a serious current affairs program, but wih entertainment elements almost shoved, awkwardly into the show in order to keep viewers interested, because, lets face it, viewers want entertainment, especially at that hour of the evening. It is too much hard work to concentrate and have a serious thought about the state of the economy after the hardships of the day, commuting, work, commuting again, its takes out the portion of the day, so do viewers want to put in more hard work then to focus on serious topics that late at night? Probably not.They know their time is valuable and want to relax, "switch off" and watch bad television, where they dont have to think for themselves or be educated while watching TV.

We get a "sugar coating" effect, with our serious current affairs programs. But is this patronizing the viewer? Possibly. But at the end of it all, if a program isnt getting viewers, it will be pulled off air. So the logical thing to do is, give the viewers their entertainment, as long as it keeps viewers, it keeps the money rolling. What does that say about our society tho, is it a typical, "Irish" society. Not taking anything serious, not having an open mind about current affairs, not being educated in ongoing and serious social problems within our country and even worldwide?

I think it is down to the individual to source their own quality information, it is out there, and if you want to go past the commercialized corporate TV shows (out for the money), then so be it. It must be done, in order to gain a better knowledge of current social affairs. And it has never been easier to source elsewhere, with the likes of Twitter, Google, and newspapers having content online, the tedious task of cringe-worthy band playing during a serious debate on Household tax and Cuts in the Budget can be avoided, but only from TV.