Codes, Conventions, and

Language of Media
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 At the end of the lesson, you will be able to
 define genres, codes, and conventions (SSHS);
 discuss the different types of genres and codes in each genre
(SSHS);
 explain how codes and conventions are used in constructing
media messages (SSHS);
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 Identify the genre and codes used on a television
advertisement (SSHS);
 and evaluate everyday media and information with regard to
codes, conventions, and messages; in regard to the audience,
producers, and other stakeholders
 Why is this lesson important?
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“People need to be media literate. This
involves knowing where to find relevant
information, how media shape popular culture and
opinion and influence personal choices, and how to
navigate the Internet and ensure personal privacy in
the cyber world.”

-- Ute Schaeffer
(Sylvia Braesel, Media and Information Literacy A practical guidebook for trainers, 2018)
 “Language may be a source of misunderstanding”

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by Marshall McLuchan,1964.

🙣 Does the receiver’s/audience’s personal background

or experience affect the interpretation of the
message?

🙣 Is it possible that different individuals interpret

differently the message they both received?

🙣 Do you agree or disagree with the author?

Are you familiar with this?
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🙣 What information do you get from
the symbol?

🙣 How is the symbol presented in

terms of color, fonts, and design?

🙣 What if the color is changed into

black, how would that affect the
information that the symbol is
communicating?
Remember the following terms:
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🙣Language

🙣Media language

🙣Messages
🙣 Messages are the information sent from a source to
a receiver.
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🙣 Language pertains to the technical and symbolic
ingredients or codes and conventions that media
and information professionals may select and use in
an effort to communicate ideas, information and
knowledge.

🙣 Media language are the codes, conventions,

formats, symbols and narrative structure that
indicate the meaning of media messages to an
audience.
Study the cover pictures of the different
movie genres.
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What kind of movie does each What are the elements that
picture show? helped you identify its kind?
 🙢
“Media codes and conventions are
like the building blocks of all the
media around us which generally
have an agreed meaning, or
connotation to their audience.”
(Young, 2017)
CODES
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🙣 systems of signs which create meaning
 There are
three (3) types of media codes:
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🙣Symbolic codes,

🙣Technical codes,

🙣Written codes.
Symbolic codes
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🙣 are social in nature. Such codes exist beyond the
media product themselves but can be interpreted in
similar ways in the everyday life of the viewer (Young,
2017).
Example:

means Christianity
 These symbolic codes also include:

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🙣Setting
🙣Mise en scene
🙣Acting
🙣Color.
 🙢
🙣 Setting is the time and place of
the narrative. It can be the setting
of the whole story or just a
specific scene. This will create
atmosphere or build a frame of https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2016/jun/10/the-
conjuring-2-20160610/

mind (Young, 2017).

🙣 Mise en scene is a French term

meaning ‘everything within a
frame’. Costume and props are
included in the analysis in the
https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/mr-bean-drives-from-
frame (Young, 2017). the-roof-again-1911872
 🙢
https://telecoms.com/475799/surely-verizon-wont-buy-twitter-too/shocked-man-covering-his-mouth-with-hands/

🙣 Acting is how an actor portray a character that will lead to

character development and tension making through facial
expression, body language and vocal qualities (Young, 2017).

🙣 Color is used to connect connotation to specific scenes,

characters or object (Young, R. 2017).
🙢 Red: color of passion, danger, romance,
or violence.
🙢 Green: nature or sickness,
🙢 Blue: calm or depression.
🙢 Purple: royalty
https://www.insider.com/maleficent-mistress-of-evil-movie-review-2019-10
Technical codes
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🙣 Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment
is used to tell a story in a media text like camera
techniques, framing, lighting, etc. (Ping, 2016).
🙣 Camerawork refers to how the camera is handled,
positioned and moved for specific effects like a high-angle
camera shot to create a feeling of power in a photograph.
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🙣 Lighting is the manipulation of natural or artificial
light to selectively highlight specific elements of the

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scene( Young, 2017).
🙣 Audio is the expressive or naturalistic use of sound.

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It includes dialogue, sound effects and music.

“Music often defines a scene.”

Chris Constantine(Constantine, 2010).

🙣 An example is the use of ominous music to communicate

danger in films.
Written codes
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🙣 are the formal written language used in a media
product. These include language style and textual
layout like headlines, captions, speech bubbles, etc.
(Frezi.com, Young, R. 2017)
What type of fonts or typefaces are used in each picture?

What message does the style of font signify?

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The simple use of different fonts or typefaces

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indicate different meaning.
“Conventions are the accepted ways of using media codes. “

There are three different types of conventions:

🙣 Form conventions
🙣 Story conventions
🙣 Genre convention
-- (Young, R. 2017).
🙣 Form conventions are the expected ways on how media codes
are arranged. In newspapers for example, the most important
news will be at the front page while sports news is found at the
back page. Newspapers also contain masthead.

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🙣 Story conventions are common narrative structures and
understandings in story telling media products like cause and
effect, character construction and point of view.

🙣 Genre conventions are the common use of tropes, characters,

settings or themes in a particular type of medium. They can be
formal or thematic.
Works Cited
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🙣 Constantine, C. (2010, May 10). Symbolism in Film. Retrieved from www.youtube.com:
🙣 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhijmmePlU8
🙣 Ferdinand B. Pitagan, Ph.D., Virginia P. Andres, Louis Mark N. Plaza, Conrado C. Rotor,
Ph.D., Aurelio
🙣 P. Vilbar, Ph.D., Cheryl F. Villanueva. (2016). Teaching Guide for Senior High School
Media
🙣 and Information Literacy. Commission on Higher Education.
🙣 Ping, A. (2016, September 16). Codes, Conventions and Language of Media. Retrieved
from google.com: https://www.slideshare.net/arnielping/mil-media-and-information-
languages-genre-codes-and-conventions?qid=cb66abdf-9340-446b-8c6a-
abbfe0f6e2e7&v=&b=&from_search=12
🙣 Sylvia Braesel, T. K. (2018). Media and information literacy A practical guidebook for
trainers.
🙣 Germany: Deutsche Welle.
🙣 Young, R. (2017, September 17). Media Codes and Convention. Retrieved from
https://media.codes/media-codes-and-conventions-c03423c06aa8
🙣 DepEd Media and Information Literacy Quarter 1 – Module 5: Codes, Conventions, and
Language of Media