In this lesson learn and familiarise myself with media theories to aid me when creating my magazine.
These three media texts all link to Robert Stam's theory that there are infinite genres because no media texts are alike. This is because, all the three magazines target different audiences, with different genres and different styles. The Epic magazine is a gaming genre, the Match of the Day is a football or sport genre and the Scoop magazine is an educational and informative genre much like the first news.
I will use media theories in my magazine such as Robert Stam's theory and Laura Mulvey's theory to make my media product unique and stand out.
Narrative Theories:
Audience Theories:
Genre Theories:
Representation Theories:
Feminist approaches:
Other approaches:
I will use media theories in my magazine such as Robert Stam's theory and Laura Mulvey's theory to make my media product unique and stand out.
Narrative Theories:
- Propp – 8 character roles: only applies to mainstream texts where characters often pertain to stereotype. Sometimes, can apply to running news stories by analysing a Hero, Villain, False Hero, Princess (or prize), Her Father, Donor, Despatcher, Helper.
- Todorov – Act Structure: Equilibrium, Disruption, Resolution, New Equilibrium.
- Levi-Strauss - texts are often understood by the ways things are placed in binary opposition to each other - the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly, etc.
Audience Theories:
- Blumler and Katz - Uses and Gratifications.
- Stuart Hall – audience positioning and dominant/negotiated/oppositional readings.
- David Gauntlett – Producer as Consumer (Prosumer): thanks to digital media, many consumers of media as also producers e.g. YouTube as cultural phenomenon.
Genre Theories:
- John Hartley – genre is interpreted culturally e.g. Coronation Street or Eastenders could only be understood in terms of the conventions of UK soap operas, American television dramas tend to have a slightly different set of conventions to British television dramas.
- Robert Stam – there are infinite genres. Basically Stam is advancing an argument that genre no longer exists and we do not have to analyse text in terms of genre.
- John Fiske – genre as ‘convenience’ for producers and audiences – this means commercial success is underpinned by the conventions of genre in terms of what audiences expect.
Representation Theories:
Feminist approaches:
- Angela McRobbie – post feminist icon theory suggesting female character are determined, strong, independent and in control but also utilize their sexuality e.g. Lara Croft, Lady Gaga…
- Laura Mulvey – male gaze/female gaze. It suggests the female form is objectified in a range of media.
Other approaches:
- Richard Dyer - Stereotype legitimize inequality by marginalizing certain individuals and social groups. "Media institutions with power make stereotypes of those will less power".
- David Gauntlett – Producer as Consumer (Prosumer): thanks to digital media, many consumers of media as also producers e.g. YouTube as cultural phenomenon.
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