Lesson 4

• Language

  -A system of arbitrary, vocal symbols that permit all people in a given culture, or other people who have learned the system of that culture to communicate or to interact (Finnochioro, cited in Jiang, 2010).
• How is language defined in media?

  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 Languages

  -Codes, conventions, formats, symbols and narrative structures that indicate the meaning of media messages to an audience.
• Denotative Meaning

  -Literal meaning of the media.

  Connotative Meaning

  -Various interpretations that media suggests to the audience which are often associated with culture,values,beliefs,etc.
• Media Codes

  Tools used to construct or suggest meaning in media forms and product that have a commonly established meaning to the target audience.
• Symbolic Codes

  The meaning of the product is not based on the product itself but on the interpretation of the audience; audience-based.
• Written Codes

  -Formal written language used in creating a media product.
• Media Conventions

  Possible methods in which codes are organized in a product; based on a standard or norm that acts as a rule governing behavior.
• Form Conventions

  Ways in which the types of media codes are expected to be arranged.
• Story Conventions

  Refer to the basic structures of narratives
• Genre Conventions

  The common use of the elements of narratives such as the characters, settings, or themes in a certaintypeof media.
• Media Messages

  Media messages are the pieces of information sent from a source to a receiver that may arouse different ideas or messages. People interpret media messages differently.