What is media analysis ?

the act of studying the media, in particular its role in society, how it has evolved, its effect on its
audience, trends, its reliability when reporting news etc

Textual analysis

Textual analysis is one of the cornerstones of Media Studies. But no matter how great the
virtuosity demonstrated in analysing texts, this is rarely an end in itself. Textual analysis is
a process by which we can both reveal the inner workings of a text and identify its
significance in terms of the wider social and cultural issues to which it relates. For example,
the analysis of an advertisement for a beauty product is rarely an end in itself. Its
significance is more likely to lie in the way in which it reveals to us the underlying nature of
gender relations within our culture.This significance may become more evident when we
consider the cumulative effect of the many similar advertisements alongside which a
particular text is situated. In fact, it is likely to be the cumulative impact of a group of
related texts that reveals the ideological forces that are at play within each one individually.
In order to carry out a textual analysis, it is important to equip yourself with an effective
toolkit. In this first part of the book we explore some of the tools that form this toolkit.
Although we look at these individually, it is important to bear in mind that they are
intended to be used in combination in order to unpack the meanings and functions that
may be latent within a text. Nor should the impression be taken that any one tool may be
more valuable than the others. The title of this part is 'Reading the Media'. The word
`reading' carries with it the connotation that texts are polysemic, or open to a range of
interpretations. Part of the richness of textual analysis is that it allows the individual
reader to interpret a text in light of their own experiences and cultural perspective. In
consequence, individual texts may require different approaches. Some text may best be
tackled initially using genre theory, while others may reveal themselves by starting off with
the application of image analysis. In an exam situation particularly, students should
develop confidence in adopting their own individual approach, selecting the individual
tools at their disposal according to the specific job in hand.

In organising this part of the book there is, however, an underlying logic. Image analysis is
placed first because, given the visual nature of many media texts, it does provide a crucial
insight into the working of sign systems which are essential to an understanding of the
functioning of such texts. Ideology is placed last because it can be seen as the logical
outcome of textual analysis. The ideological work of a media text helps reveal to us the
functioning of that text within broader social and cultural contexts. This is a key role
played by textual analysis: to open our eyes to the value systems within our culture,
signified by popular cultural forms such as media texts.

Textual analysis is a way for researchers to gather information about how other human beings
make sense of the world. It is a methodologya data-gathering processfor those researchers
who want to understand the ways in which members of various cultures and subcultures make
sense of who they are, and of how they fit into the world in which they live. Textual analysis is
also the perfect starting point for somebody writing a news story, analysing a public relations
(PR) campaign or developing a television seriesand an effective way of assessing, comparing
and understanding media texts. It is something we all do instinctively, to some extent, but if you
follow these steps, textual analysis can become a skill that as a person involved in media,
journalism, business or public life more generally, you can use to understand why certain media
texts are successful or subversive or popular. Ultimately, textual analysis is a toolkit for
examining the media, applicable to very simple media forms (such as advertisements), up to
more complex forms such as news narratives, television series and films. It is also a toolkit for
media practitioners who want to convey a certain message or try to convince audiences to think
in a certain way. There should be something here of use to you, regardless of your future career
in media.

We interpret texts (Films, television programmes, magazines, advertisements and so on) in order to try
and obtain a sense of the ways in which, in particular cultures at particular times, people make sense of
the world around them. And, importantly, by seeing the variety of ways in which it is possible to
interpret reality, we also understand our own cultures better because we can start to see the limitations
and advantages of our own sense-making practices.

What is textual analysis?

Textual analysis is a way for researchers to gather information about how other
human beings make sense of the world. It is a methodology a data-gathering
process for those researchers who want to understand the ways in which members
of various cultures and subcultures make sense of who they are, and of how they t
into the world in which they live. Textual analysis is useful for researchers working in
cultural studies, media studies, in mass communication,and perhaps even in
sociology and philosophy.
What is textual analysis?
When we perform textual analysis on a text, we make an educated guess at some of
the most likely interpretations that might be made of that text.
We interpret texts (films, television programmes, magazines, advertisements,
clothes, graffiti, and so on) in order to try and obtain a sense of the ways in which, in
particular cultures at particular times, people make sense of the world around them.
And, importantly, by seeing the variety of ways in which it is possible to interpret
reality, we also understand our own cultures better because we can start to see the
limitations and advantages of our own sense-making practices

All media products are 'texts'. When you read, watch, play, listen to a media text, you make meaning of
the sounds and imagery presented. This process of making meaning or understanding the media text is
called DECODING. DECODING = understanding a media text. CODES can be visual (you can see them)
or aural (you can hear them). Codes have symbolic value. For example in our society wearing a pair of
glasses (glasses are the code) symbolises, or connotates, that you are clever. TV drama, magazines and
videogames use these symbolic codes to generate character types and character archetypes.