section 1- unit 3- Representation

Representation

Representation is the process by which the media presents the ‘real world’ to an audience. Media texts construct meanings about the world – a picture, a film, a television programme or a newspaper article re- presents the world to help audiences make sense of it. A popular understanding of representation is through stereotypes. Stereotypes are a form of representation in which groups of people are characterised by attributing to the qualities that some individuals possess, and which later become associated with the whole group. ‘Stereotypes are widely circulated ideas or assumptions about particular groups. Stereotypes are also essential tools for media producers. They can be used as a shorthand to condense a lot of complex information and detail into a character who is easily recognised and simple to deal with – Ugly Betty is a good example. It makes it easier for the audience to understand the character and his or her role in the text.

Representation is not just about how we see people, places and objects but also how we interpret what our senses tell us. This depends as much on who we are, as what we see, hear or read An important debate in any study of the media is about the accuracy of the representations it offers us. There are official organisations who monitor the media for accuracy and other codes of behaviours to make sure that people are protected to some degree from exposure to lies and deliberate untruths.

A film representation of a character for example consists of at least four factors: 1. The character – gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality and look 2. The collective cultural background and views of the producer/director/institution 3. The audience’s reaction to the character 4. Where and when the representation takes place – cinema/home/ laptop/friend’s house.

Mediation is the process by which a media text represents an idea, issue or event to an audience. Many people think that if you point a camera at an event or person the ‘reality’ of that event or person will be immediately apparent. Seeing something through a lens changes not just the perspective and size of a person but also how the audience perceives that person. Therefore it has been mediated.

Selection - Whatever ends up on the screen or in the paper, much more will have been left out — any news story has been selected from hundreds of others which the producers decided for you were less interesting, any picture has been chosen from an enormous number of alternatives.

Organisation - The various elements will be organised carefully in ways that real life is not: in visual media this involves mise-en-scene and the organisation of narrative, in the recording of an album the production might involve re-mixing a track. Any medium you can think of will have an equivalent to these.

Focusing - Mediation always ends up with us, the audience, being encouraged towards concentrating on one aspect of the text and ignoring others. If you are watching a film the camera will pan towards an important character, in a tabloid the headlines will scream, for your attention.

Representations do change over time depending on society’s view of a social group, and are influenced by cultural and legislative changes and, arguably, by media texts.