Media Language

Media Language

Introduction

Every medium has its own ‘language’ – or combination of languages – that it uses to communicate meaning. Television, for example, uses verbal and written language as well as the languages of moving images and sounds.

According to philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1931), “we think only in signs” .

Signs take the form of words, images, sounds, odours, flavours, acts or objects, but such 

things have no intrinsic meaning and become signs only when we invest them with 

meaning. 

Anything can be a sign as long as someone interprets it as 'signifying' something - referring to or standing for something other than itself. We interpret things as signs largely unconsciously by relating them to familiar systems of conventions. It is this meaningful use of signs which is at the heart of the concerns of semiotics. 

Roland Barthes

Semiotics

Roland Barthes - 'death of the author'  the audience create its meaning as they are the ones who interpret.

Every medium has its own language or combination of languages.

Television uses sound and verbal language and written.

Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. Each form of communication-whether newspapers, TV game shows or horror movies-- has its own creative language: scary music heightens fear, camera close-ups convey intimacy, big headlines signal significance.

Understanding the grammar, syntax and metaphor system of media language, especially the language of sounds and visuals which can reach beyond the rational to our deepest emotional core, increases our appreciation and enjoyment of media experiences as well as helps us to be less susceptible to manipulation. Barthes created the idea that there is a signifier and signified. 

Pierce
Semiotics

3 TYPES OF SIGNS 

Icon/iconic: a mode in which the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified (recognizably looking, sounding, feeling, tasting or smelling like it) - being similar in possessing some of its qualities: e.g. a portrait, a cartoon, a scale-model, onomatopoeia, metaphors, 'realistic' sounds in 'programme music', sound effects in radio drama, a dubbed film soundtrack, imitative gestures; 

Index/indexical: a mode in which the signifier is not arbitrary but is directly connected in some way (physically or causally) to the signified - this link can be observed or inferred: e.g. 'natural signs' (smoke, thunder, footprints, echoes, non-synthetic odours and flavours), medical symptoms (pain, a rash, pulse-rate), measuring instruments (weathercock, thermometer, clock, spirit-level).

Symbol/symbolic: a mode in which the signifier does not resemble the signified but which is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional - so that the relationship must be learnt: e.g. language in general (plus specific languages, alphabetical letters, punctuation marks, words, phrases and sentences), numbers, morse code, traffic lights, national flags.

Fiske & Hartley
Semiotics and Representation DENOTATION, CONNOTATION AND MYTH 

In semiotics, denotation and connotation are terms describing the relationship between the signifier and its signified, and an analytic distinction is made between two types of signifieds: a denotative signified and a connotative signified. Meaning includes both denotation and connotation. 

As Roland Barthes (1967) noted, Saussure's model of the sign focused on denotation at the expense of connotation and it was left to subsequent theorists (notably Barthes himself) to offer an account of this important dimension of meaning .

Barthes (1977) argued that in photography connotation can be (analytically) distinguished from denotation. 

As John Fiske (1982)  puts it “denotation is what is photographed, connotation is how it is photographed”. Link to Barthes’ editing at stage of production we discussed.

Related to connotation is what Roland Barthes (1977)  refers to as myth. For Barthes myths were the dominant ideologies of our time. The 1st and 2nd orders of signification called denotation and connotation combine to produce ideology - which has been described as a third order of signification by Fiske and Hartley (1982). 

Media is communication. Discuss the ways that you have used media language to create meanings in one of your media products. 

I have used multiple ways of using language to develop meaning.
Firstly, my use of a dark backdrop develops Barthes theory. The dark backdrop is the signifier which represents many different things. It may resemble the sign of night, or potentially a dark presence. Either way the symbols portrayed by using the basics of light can mean an immense amount. The use of language in sippy cup such as the knife, suggests intertextuality of psycho. This therefore signals to viewers that something dramatic will happen, or even murder (which it turns out to be). Moreover, the various signs which appear in the video such as the girl in clouds with a teddy bear, suggests and represents heaven. Concluding that the daughter herself was murdered. We even assume due to the costumes whom the relations between each character are. The younger daughter has pigtails, a general look of being young. The 'mother' has heavy makeup and high heels with her hair in a 70's up do style. These codes are designed in order for the audience to understand and consume the text accurately and understand the meaning behind the narrative. 

In my AS Media coursework, I was able to convey the language and conventions of a music magazine to my audience effectively. 
The red colour symbolises danger and passion, and black, white and grey all represent the bold impact that the music genre was. In terms of media language the connotation behind the image is the troubled teen. But the denotation is a young adult smoking. There is no meaning, although alongside the text on the page, 'Good Boy Gone Bad' we can gather than the artist on the front is what the text is referring to, therefore the picture of the boy has a developed meaning. 
Even the graffiti on the backdrop resembles troubled adults and rebellion, alongside with the connotations of the magazine title 415 a Californian Police Penal Code for 'disturbing the peace'. All the conventions of any magazine are there although specific for rap/ hip-hop are certain characteristics which develop interest and meaning. The front cover of this magazine is indextial throughout, everything gives a sense of cohesion and develops a meaning to an unknowing audience. 

Sippy cup has the language of sight, not text or sound. Although it is a song there is no sound effects which connect to the video. The music video connects and sends its messages through the use of visual imagery. Initially, the sign of night is clear as the opening image is of a girl in bed, with no light coming through the window. This is a clear example of Barthes and Pierces theories. We already assume subconsciously that it is night in the video due to the lack of light in the shot.