Bradley Cooke-Catcheside

3112
Lutterworth College
25274

Function & Form

Form & Function

• Some media has drawn attention to social and cultural life.
• This can be at a level of the individual to provide entertainment; on the other hand
media could be presented at a social level - which binds people together through culture.

Functionalist
• Media produces a sense of community

Marxist
• Would believe that such a mode disguises an inequality and conflict

Form
• The shape and structure of a text - such as the genre - which can be defined by the
formal features

The Wire
This poster uses all of Barthes’ codes
Denotations
• Two black men in an expensive car (1)
• The men at the bottom are smartly dressed (2)
• Dark lighting is used - black, grey and brown (3)
Connotations
• The two men might have stolen the car (1)
• The two men might be stereotypically seen as the “baddies” (1)
• The men at the bottom are shown to be in a position of power (2)
• The lighting may show the idea of sorrow and depression (3)
• The lighting may show the institution in which these characters are in (3)
Formal Features
• CCTV
• Drugs
• Police
• Criminals
• Forensics
• Gangs/Gangsters
• Mystery

Functionalist
• People could aspire to combat people who are taking drugs and those of whom are
involved in criminal activity; there is, however the issue that these people could join in
with the criminal gangs.

Marxists
• People could be seen to be encouraged those watching to consume drugs - making that
lifestyle look glamorous. This may also give the wrong impression of police officers; this
programme shows some of the police officers as being corrupt.

K. Elger
15/09/2009