1.

Identify representations in media and

information texts
2.Analyze cultural, religious and gender
representations in media and information
texts.
 Kaiser Family foundation (2003), a healthcare information
provider, cites the basic principles for critical analysis o media
messages as explained by the Center for Media Literacy.

Media messages are constructed.

Messages are representation of reality with embedded values and
points of view.
Each form of media uses a unique set of rules to construct
messages.
Individuals interpret media messages and create their own
meaning based on personal experience.
Media are driven by profit within economic and political contexts.
Media messages are created to convey specific meaning.
Similarly, the values and viewpoints of media creators
influence their choice of words, images and sounds that
are communicated through the media.
However, these messages may be interpreted differently
by media audiences or consumers based on:
a. Personal prior knowledge
b. Experience
c. Values
d. Beliefs
Remember that media and information texts are basically
constructions put together through the use of production
techniques by trained professionals to create a new reality
that is different from the real world.
By understanding codes and conventions, we will be able
know how production techniques (camera angles, sound
effects, editing, colors, signs, symbol, etc.) are trying to
influence us.
These production techniques are used primarily by media
organizations to get our attention. If they got noticed, then
these media produces earn a lot from advertisers.
These media and information materials are subjective and
they will tend to use stereotypes or labels.
For example is a teacher whom students would think is a
nerd for always wearing eyeglasses. This is what we call
stereotyping.
Which is often inappropriate and unfounded. These
examples of labelling or stereotyping are results of previous
experiences or exposure to movies in which these
characters has been portrayed as such.
:
REPRESENTATIONS as destined by professor Rick Beach is
the way in which the media portrays particular groups,
communities experiences, ideas or topic from a particular
ideological or value perspective. This means that analysis
of media representations should not only be based on
what is shown or obvious in media and information texts
but also on their underlying meanings or how they
construct a new reality.
Social groups are usually presented by media creators and
produces in an inaccurate and discrimatory manner. Those
often discriminated against include the women cultural,
communities, ethnic groups, children, race and religion.
We need to first ascertain the intended audiences of these
media products for us to:
a. Detect bias
b. Unsupported claims
c. Stereotypes
d. Inaccurate representations
1. How are these social groups portrayed in the media text? What are
symbols were used?
2. What messages does it convey? How did you know this is the
meaning of the message? Is this understandable to its intended
audience?
3. How was the message developed or framed? How did it come out? Is
it acceptable? Why or why not? Does it influence the way we think
about the social group?
4. What is the background of the creator or producer of the message?
How will this affect the messages conveyed?
Professor Beach, author of Teaching Film,
Television and media (2013), suggest ways to
analyze representations based on the following
aspects:
1. IMAGES
• Reflect certain positive versus negative
value orientations based on cultural codes
and archetypal meanings.
2. SOUND AND MUSIC
• Focuses on the use of sounds and music to
represent serration social worlds and create
certain moods.
3. INTERTEXTUALITY
• Refers to audiences knowledge of intertextual links
between the current texts and other previous texts
using the same images, language, sound or logos.
4. LANGUAGE
• Deals with the use of language to construct realities
or worlds. This may directly refer to the use of words
and texts or indirect use of images to construct new
realities.
 When analyzing media texts, it is
important to understand that meanings reside in
people. This means that certain words are relative, or
they mean different things to different people. In the
same manner, interpreting images vary from one person
to another. This happens because we all come from
different backgrounds, with different needs and
orientations. Thus, when we interpret media
representations, we have to understand the context
where the interpreters are coming from.