1. Representation

2. Why are the Media called the
Media?

3. Because they MEDIATE our view
of reality.
Producers
Reality
Texts
Audiences

4. Constructions of Reality
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How might the following media construct
rather than reflect reality?
TV News programme (by selecting which
stories to “run” and which to ignore).
TV crime drama
A website for a charity
A lifestyle magazine

5. Representation – some definitions
• Representation is the ability of texts to draw
upon features of the world and present them
to the viewer, not simply as reflections, but
more so, as constructions (O’Shaughnessy &
Stadler 2002). Hence, the images do not
portray reality in an unbiased way with 100%
accuracy, but rather, present ‘versions of
reality’ influenced by culture and people’s
habitual thoughts and actions
(O’Shaughnessy & Stadler 2002).

6. Representation of Social Groups
• We often analyse representations in the media
according to categories such as:
• Age
• Disability
• Gender
• Socio-economic grouping
• Race
• Nationality
• sexuality

8. Ideology
• An ideology is a belief system that is
constructed and presented by a media
text.
• Media texts represent the world in order to
support a dominant ideology.
• For example, newspapers often promote
the dominant ideology of patriotism
through their representation of race and
nationality.

9. Some Dominant Ideologies
• Capitalism. The production of capital and
consumption of surplus value as a life goal.
• Patriotism. To love, support and protect
one’s country and its people.
• Marriage and family. The “right way” to live
is to marry an opposite-sex partner and
have children.
• Male superiority. Men are more suited to
positions of power, and more suited to
decision-making at work and at home.

10. Dominant Ideologies around the
world
• Many dominant ideologies are extremely culturespecific. For example:
• Christian fundamentalism as a political force in
the USA
• Shariah law is some Muslim countries
• The principle of individual freedom in the
Netherlands
• Dominant ideologies are central to people’s
belief systems. It is often difficult or
impossible to challenge them effectively.

11. Hegemony
• Hegemony is the way in
which those in power
maintain their control.
• Dominant ideologies are
considered hegemonic;
power in society is
maintained by
constructing ideologies
which are usually
promoted by the mass
media.

12. Examples of hegemonic values
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The police are always right
It is important to be slim
A credit card is a desirable status symbol
Mass immigration is undesirable
The poor are lazy and deserve their
hardship
• Men are better drivers than women
• It is important to wear fashionable clothes

13. Stereotypes
• Stereotypes are characters in a media text who are
“types” rather than complex people.
• Stereotypes are often defined by their role, such as
“bad cop” or “nice old lady”.
• Children’s media texts often use stereotypes so a
young audience can identify quickly with the
characters.
• Stereotypes are usually negative representations,
considered to be too reductive. Many are
considered offensive, such as a “drunken Irishman”,
a “fanatical Muslim” or an “over-emotional woman”.

14. Extension/restriction of our
experience of reality
• By giving audiences information, media
texts extend experience of reality.
• Every time you see a media text, you
extend your experience of life but in a
second-hand way (vicarious).
• However, because the producers of the
media text have selected and constructed
the information we receive, then our
experience is restricted.

15. Add your own definition of:
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Hegemony
Ideology
Representation
Stereotype
to your technical glossary

16. Advert analysis
• How would you
analyse this
image?
• Who is
represented and
how?

17. The Sophie Dahl “Opium” Ad
Expensive, aspirational accessories
Exposed nipple – a broken taboo
Purple velvet – connotes royalty & luxury
Idealized female form enhanced using Photoshop
Sexually submissive pose

18. Get used to looking at the
images from different media
texts
Who is being represented and how?
Is it a positive or negative representation?
Does it conform to a stereotype?
Does it demonstrate any dominant
ideologies/hegemonic value?

19. “Sony PSP – Now in White”

20. When watching TV drama ask
yourself
• Who is represented in this clip?
• Is there any dominant
idelogies/hegemonic values present?

21. Shameless

23. Make sure you know
Your definition of:
•Hegemony
•Ideology and
•Representation
And that’s its on your blog. It needs to be in
your own words.