Media Concepts

 

 

 

Language is the way media texts communicate ideas, meaning, significance and emotion you can communicate media from the costumes and facial expressions to the way the camera is angled and the lighting of a photo. For my magazine, I need to consider the colour theme for the whole magazine to convey the correct meaning to the consumers and coordinate with the feelings and ideas I want to communicate. Furthermore, I also need to consider the way the model poses and the facial expressions they make, this is because both can convey the emotion and feeling of the magazine.

Audience is the consumers, the ones who intake the media from reading, listening and watching. A consumer may also be a producer, which we call prosumers, as every time they comment, share and like they create media. It’s so vital to understand the audience and the demographic in order for my magazine to be successful, therefore for my magazine I’ll be considering the age and gender of my audience. For gender, I’ll be making sure I include an artist and names on the magazine that is recognisable for the target demographic to ensure my audience can relate to the magazine. Then for gender, if I was targeting a female audience colour choice is important as stereotypically colours like pink are associated with female products therefore attracting a female audience.

Industry is the makers (producers, designers, publishers etc) and the businesses who allow media to be shared. The industry is also the way media texts are able to make money. Within the industry there are businesses which we call the tech giants these company’s can control the media due to their massive influence across the globe (Google, Meta etc). For my magazine, I will need to make sure that my media is profitable and is able to make money as well as how will I distribute my media successfully  to the audience.

Representation is the story or narrative a piece of media text wants to convey, it’s how media ‘re-presents’ an idea, character or event. The producer of the media text can choose the representation they want to show to an audience. For my magazine, I will need to consider how I represent my music artist showcasing some of their attitudes and beliefs that I think is best suited for the audience. Moreover, with the design of the magazine I need to carefully choose the colours and images that connotes with the story I’m trying to tell. For example, if my artist is more cheery I will use bright colours and perhaps images of the sun or flowers as all these have connotations with joy/happiness.

My Media Diet

A media diet is the variety of media an individual consumes on a day to day basis. My media diet consists of a wide range of media platforms and texts such as social media like Instagram or Snapchat or text media like the Guernsey Press. Personally, I consider myself as a prosumer as I both consume and produce media by viewing, listening and reading media whilst also posting videos on Tiktok, liking and sharing media. 

Blumler and Katz agreed that there are 4 main reasons why people engage in media: entertainment, information/education, social interaction and reinforce their personal identity. All 4 reasons links to their Uses and Gratification theory. 

For example, I watch Selling Sunset as a way of entertainment and social interaction as I find it enjoyable to watch as well as a way of social interaction by talking about it with other viewers either online or in person. Moreover, some media platforms contain all 4 reasons such as Instagram and Tiktok as both are a source of entertainment, information, way to interact with others (commenting, sharing, messaging) and personal identity as you can follow people who relate to you as well there being an online shop.

It seems evident the most successful media platforms tend to contain more then one/a mixture of different key factors of why people chose to engage in media. From looking at successful platforms and the Gratification theory I understand for a successful magazine I need to include factors of information, entertainment, be able to create social interaction (something to get people talking) and finally be able to reinforce the readers personal identity. According to Blumler and Katz, by hitting this criteria I should create a successful, engaging magazine.