Module 5 Media and Information Language

Good afternoon!
✓ Types of Media
✓ Media and
Information Sources
Being a Media and A media and information
Information literate doesn’t literate individual is a
only mean knowing your competent producer of
sources of information. media and information.
Module 5: Media
and Information
Languages
Using inappropriate media
language might result in
misinterpretation and
miscommunication.
Media and Information
Language is the way in which
the meaning of a media text is
conveyed to the audience.
MEDIA CODES AND CONVENTION
For media and the audience to be effectively bridged,
the right knowledge on codes and conventions
must be understood.
✓ Rich woman
✓ Wears heavy
make-up
✓ Puffing
cigarette
while
laughing
devilishly
People understand and interpret
information. They do not simply look
at the literal sense, but also at the
possible implication.
Signs and symbols in media texts
are “Polysemic”
-meaning they are open to
many interpretations
Use of appropriate
languages (signs, symbols
and conventions) in media.
MEDIA CODES
Codes are known as the system of
signs which create meaning.
These signs are categorized in order

to identify which of these codes
affect what.
Three types of code:
➢ Technical
➢ Symbolic
➢ Written
1. TECHNICAL CODES
▶ Refers to the ways in

which equipment is used 1. Camerawork
to tell the story 2. Audio/sounds
3. Lighting
▶ Focus on how frames in
4. Editing
visual media are
presented.
a. Camerawork
➢ Refers to how the camera is operated,
positioned and move for specific effects
b. Audio/Sounds
➢ To convey meaning
➢ to work on the emotional impact of the
scene
c. Audio/Sounds
➢ A change in sound will affect the
overall mood of the video
d. Lighting
➢ Code that gives an accent to visual media.
➢ Lights gives a video a sense of atmosphere
Lighting Present
Pas
t
Editing
➢ Allows editor to put pictures and sound
together
➢ Makes the message organize so that it can
be easily understand by the people
2. SYMBOLIC CODE
▶ Symbolic codes are social in nature.

▶ These codes live outside the media
product themselves, but would be
understood in similar ways in the ‘real
life’ of the audience.
2. SYMBOLIC CODE
▶ Indicators that require inferences among

audience.
CONNOTATIVE – indirect implication

- figurative meaning
DENOTATIVE – direct implication
- literal meaning
APPLE DOVE
Connotation: knowledge Connotation: peace
Denotation: fruit Denotation: fruit-eating bird
▶ Setting
▶ Mise-en-scène
▶ Acting
▶ Color
a. Setting
-is time and place of the
narrative
-Your setting must always fit
your message
b. Mise-en-scène
-is the description of all the objects within a
frame of media product and how they have been
arranged.
-includes set design, make-ups, costumes,
accessories and props
c. Acting
-actors portray characters in media
products and contribute to character
development, creating tension or
advancing the narrative
c. Acting
-appearance, movements, gestures,
facial expressions and vocal delivery
d. Color
-elicit a different and unique
emotional response in the viewer
When you produce media,

you have to be clever with
your color choices.
3. WRITTEN CODE
▶ common in print media.

▶ Formal written language
used in a media product.
▶ Includes font style and font
size, captions, choice of
words and emphasis of words
3. WRITTEN CODE
Ex. The way headlines

are presented depends
on the message of the
writer.
3. WRITTEN CODE
MEDIA CONVENTIONS
➢ Media conventions are
accepted ways of using media
codes.
➢ Conventions are closely
connected to the audience’s
expectations of a media
product
Codes are media indicators.
Conventions are generally accepted
ways of doing things.
Codes interpretations and
inferences = Conventions
Ex. Camera shot triggers – code

People get scared - convention
Ex.
Glam outfit, heavy make
up – codes
Antagonist - convention
1. Form Conventions
2. Story Conventions
3. Genre Conventions
1. FORM CONVENTIONS
-Are the specific ways we expect the
types of codes to be arranged
Movies
-Title at the beginning
-Credits in the end

Newspaper
-the most important
news on the first page
-Sports news on the
back page
2. STORY
CONVENTIONS
-are common
narrative structures
and understandings
that are common in
story telling media
products
3. GENRE CONVENTIONS
-point to the common use of tropes,
characters, settings or themes in a particular
type of medium
- Closely linked with the audience expectations
of genre
Romance (Love conquers all)
➢ Media products today no longer
stick to the conventions
➢ Media producers are now trying
to get out of the box
➢ Exploring ways to break
conventions and finding new
styles expressing messages
Media codes and conventions are
inseparable. It is important to the
media to consider how consumers
acquire and interpret message
through the appropriate codes and
conventions.
Good afternoon!
2. MEDIA
MESSAGES
Forms of
messages come
on a daily basis.
Messages from mass media are
designed for public consumption
and to how media entities want
their messages to be perceived
without compromising everyone.
Maxwell McCombs and Donald
Shaw’s Agenda Setting Theory
▪ Media has a tendency to manipulate its way

of presenting messages in order to obtain the
desired reception from the audience ─MEDIA
AGENDA
➢ Ex. Politicians who are allegedly involved in corruption

Issue on Global Warming
MEDIA
PORTRAYALS
The power of
media
continuous to
extend in
different aspects.
One of the most
prominent
portrayals in
media is woman.
MEDIA AND VIOLENCE
Media is considered as one

of the factors that
contribute to the
increasing rate that
implies higher level of
brutality among
perpetrators.
Media exist for several reasons.
However, it is important to
always look at the underlying
messages and identify their
real implications. Hence, it can
be concluded that media is
indeed, powerful.
3. MEDIA AND THE
AUDIENCE
Audience can be as powerful as
media in terms of reception.
According to Potter (2012), the
members of the audience are perceived
in two ways─ human minds as machines,
and interpretative beings.
Machines – members of the
audiences are like robots.
(receive – decode – end up with
negotiated meanings)
Example: use of hashtags in Twitter

Interpretative beings – human beings have the
liberty to conclude anything they want.
Interpretations vary depending on people’s

background – opinions and stands.
Example: Movies vs. moviegoers

Controversies vs. Famous personality
EFFECTS OF MEDIA ON THE AUDIENCE
1. Physiological – focuses on human brain, determined by

its pre-birth programming.
2. Cognitive – can be generated by media
3. Belief – depending on one’s orientation and cultural
background
4. Attitude – evaluative judgment
5. Affective – anchored by emotions
6. Behavior – action of people
THE POWER OF THE AUDIENCE
Audience has the power to choose the kind of

media they desire to consume, depending on
what gratifies their needs as stated in Uses and
Gratifications Theory by Elihu Katz.
4. MEDIA AND THE PRODUCERS/
STAKEHOLDERS
Both media and stakeholders are
dependent on each other.
Media aims to air information,
Stakeholders in the market aim to sell
products or services.
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
• Media plays a major part in terms of reach

through commercial organizations.
• Market is able to attract more people and
more potential consumers.
ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES
Advertisers extend and promote products and
services in the cyberworld.
Pages emerge as advertisers aim to increase

number of “likes” and others use hashtags to
make their products and services trend online.
THE CONFLICT BETWEEN MEDIA AND
STAKEHOLDERS
1. INTEREST – businesses are driven by individual’s own
interest (product not common X advertisement)
STAKEHOLDERS
2. WANT-REGARDINGNESS – media has to be transparent
(commercials of liquor)
STAKEHOLDERS
3. EXIT AND VOICE – emphasizes on choosing between
giving up on a deal or engaging people to like the deal. (did
not meet the standards vs. media)
ACTIVITY:
Think of an advertisement on television and do the

instructions that follow.
1. Identify the categories of codes applied (Technical,

Symbolical, Written)
2. Identify how it affects you as an audience.
(Physiological, Cognitive, Belief, Attitude, Affective,
Behavior)
3. Identify the conflict it may encounter. (interest, want-
regardingness, exit and voice)

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Good afternoon!

These signs are categorized in order

▶ Refers to the ways in

▶ Symbolic codes are social in nature.

▶ Indicators that require inferences among

CONNOTATIVE – indirect implication

When you produce media,

▶ common in print media.

Ex. The way headlines

Ex. Camera shot triggers – code

-Credits in the end

▪ Media has a tendency to manipulate its way

➢ Ex. Politicians who are allegedly involved in corruption

Media is considered as one

Example: use of hashtags in Twitter

Interpretations vary depending on people’s

Example: Movies vs. moviegoers

1. Physiological – focuses on human brain, determined by

Audience has the power to choose the kind of

• Media plays a major part in terms of reach

Pages emerge as advertisers aim to increase

Think of an advertisement on television and do the

1. Identify the categories of codes applied (Technical,

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